THE TREES POEM QUESTION BANK

Q1. In the poem “The Trees”, the poet compares the trees to “newly discharged patients”.
Highlight any two reasons for the same. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. In the poem, the poet compares the ‘trees’ to ‘newly discharged patients. Secondly,
the trees were exerted like patients, due to their effort that they had to put in order to be
freed from the house.
Q2. The process of “moving out” was tedious for the trees. Support the statement with
reference to the poem. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. Every part of the confined trees rises in revolt and struggles hard to free itself. The
roots and leaves struggle to come out of the glass. Small twigs become hard due to over
work and the long-cramped boughs are trying to break open the roof. So ‘moving out’ is
tedious for trees.
Q3. The trees have been shown to have human qualities in the poem. Justify the
statement with any two instances from the text. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. The trees have shown some human qualities in the poem. The way they struggled to
get themselves free from the boundary of the house is similar to the struggle of the
oppressed people who are deprived of their freedom. Similarly, the trees did not give up
when enslaved and were determined like humans to get freedom. Humans, too, fight till the
end and finally win.
Q4. The poet symbolizes women as forests, not trees. What does this suggest? [CBSE Q B,
2020-21]
Ans. It is shown in the poem that nature, represented by trees and forest, is struggling like
women to escape itself from the onslaughts of man to destroy it. The victorious march of
the trees is a message of hope that nature can’t be tamed or subdued by the arrogance of
man. In the same way women have been struggling to liberate themselves from the
bondage of men under patriarchal social norms and they are also succeeding bit by bit. One
day the women would have their due natural realm of freedom as the trees succeeded in
finding their due natural home.
Q5. Change never comes easy. Justify the quote in the context of the poem “The Trees”.
[CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. It is true that change never comes easy. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the trees of the forest
were cut down by man for selfish purposes. The forest was turned into a barren land as the
trees were captivated inside the house. However, the trees struggled really hard to free
themselves from the confines of the house and return to their natural habitat, i.e., forest.
Q6. The forest undergoes tremendous transformation overnight. Discuss with reference
to the poem “The Trees” [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. The roots of these trees are engaged into the cracks of the veranda floor. At night,
these roots try to free themselves from the cracks. The leaves try to move towards the glass.
Twigs become hardened and the boughs try to expand under the roof.
Q7. The poet uses trees as a symbol for women breaking patriarchal notions. Do you
agree? Why/Why not? [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. Indeed, the poet uses trees as a symbol for women breaking patriarchal notions. In a
male dominated society, women are in bondage. They are struggling to free themselves.
Similarly, nature representing trees and forests, is struggling to escape itself from the
onslaughts of men to destroy it.
Q8. The poem ends on a note of victory. Justify with reference to the literal and symbolic
meaning. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]
Ans. The poem emphatically portrays the determined and concerted efforts to get liberated
from unnatural bondage for a natural home. Each and every part of the tree rises against
the slaughtering of men and wage a long and hard struggle to liberate themselves from the
bondage of man. Ultimately, they are victorious. They return to their original home where
they should be. In the literal sense, the poem ends with the trees successfully returning back
to their natural habitat, i.e., the forest. However, symbolically, it ended with the victory of
women to get themselves free from the confines of the patriarchal society and domination
of man.
Q9. Why is the poet writing long letters? Why does she not mention the departure of the
trees? (CBSE 2019)
Ans. The poet is writing long letters probably to keep herself busy in some activity. She does
not mention the departure of the trees in her long letters because she doesn’t want anyone
to know that the trees inside her house are rebelling and fighting their way out to reach the
forest. The trees struggle silently at night to break free from their captivity when no one is
watching them. She wants the trees to be liberated and be one with nature where they
belong. Therefore, she feels that it is best not to say a word about it to anybody.
Q10. What happens to the house when trees move out of it? [CBSE 2017]
Ans. When the trees move out, the glass walls break due to the efforts of various parts of
the tree (leaves, twigs) to escape. The smell of lichens and leaves still lingers in the house
like the voice of the trees. The roots of the trees would have left cracks in the veranda floor.
The poet said that she could still smell the lichens and leaves in the house
Q11. What are the three things that can’t happen in a treeless forest? [CBSE Delhi, 2017]
Ans. The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest are—the sitting of a bird on
trees, the hiding of insects and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest.
Q12. In the poem ‘Trees’, where are the trees? What are their roots, twigs, etc. trying to
do? [CBSE 2017]
Ans. The trees are inside the house. The roots, leaves, twigs, etc. all are trying to make an
escape from the house. The roots disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda
floor, leaves strain towards the glass, small twigs and boughs move to the doors. The trees
work all night to move to the forest. The leaves exert a lot of force on the glasses to break
them and twigs become stiff with exertion. The poet wants to give the message that keeping
the trees inside homes is like keeping them in a prison.
Q13. How is the issue of deforestation raised in the poem “The Trees”?
Ans. The poet uses ‘the trees’ to connote the significance of forests and raise the issue of
‘deforestation. People keep plants and trees in their homes and have the false impression
that it can replace the lost forests. The poet uses the trees as symbolism to say that the
issue of deforestation can be tackled only by planting trees.
Q14. Discuss the metaphors used in the poem “The Trees”.
Ans. Metaphor is a literary device used to represent a comparison without using the words
“like” or “as”. The poet uses ‘trees’ metaphorically to represent the helplessness of women
in the patriarchal society. The metaphor extends throughout the poem and therefore the
poem is a good example of ‘extended metaphor’. The struggles of nature or trees to be
freed from the confinements of man is compared to that of the women’s struggle for the
same to get freedom from the men dominated society.
Q15. How does the poet describe the night? How does she feel?
Ans. It is night time. The night is fresh. In the open sky, the full moon is shining. The poet
feels the smell of leaves and lichen reaching inside the room. Her head is full of whispers.
But she thinks that the next day these whispers will be silent.
The Trees Long Answer Questions
Q1. What message does Adrienne Rich want to convey through the Poem “The Trees”?
[CBSE 2020]
Ans. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the poet Adrienne Rich subtly gives the message about the
importance of trees for everyone. Without trees, the birds would not get a place to sit,
insects would have no place to hide and the sun would not bury its feet in shadow. We
enjoy looking at the saplings as they beautify our surroundings. But slowly as the saplings
grow into the trees, they spread their roots, their branches and leaves and seem to yearn to
go outside where they can live and grow without any restrictions. Then the trees no longer
look attractive indoors. The trees are, however, welcomed into nature by strong winds and
the moon. The author hereby emphasizes that the trees need to be kept alive, by not
imprisoning them inside the house for the mere reason that they look beautiful indoors.
Q2. Sometimes moving out of a comfort space is extremely important for maturation and
growth. Point out how Wanda Petroski moving into a big city was similar to the
movement of the trees. [CBSE Q B, 2020- 21]
Ans. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the trees were deprived of their comfort zone of being into
the forest. After their freedom was snatched away by man, they were helpless in the
confines of a house. However, this movement of the trees out of their comfort zone, made
them truly determined and strong. In captivity, they struggled too hard to get out of the
house and return to their natural habitat. They finally became free as a result of their
efforts. Similarly, Wanda became extremely strong and outspoken as soon as she moved out
to a big city. Earlier in the school, Wanda was made fun of because of her dull dress and
different name. She kept quiet as she was an introvert. She was also embarrassed by the
bullying that she had to go through in the school. However, when she moved to the big city,
no one made fun of her different name. This enhanced her self-confidence and she became
outspoken, a face clear from the letters she wrote to her previous class teacher, Miss
Mason.
Q3. The poem ‘Trees’ appears to be about trees, environment, deforestation and
afforestation. On a deeper level we discover that Adrienne Rich is expressing her concern
about women and their emancipation. Elaborate with reference to the poem. [CBSE Q B,
2020-21]
Ans. In her poem ‘The Tree’ poetess Adrienne Rich subtly drives home the message about
the importance of trees. Without trees, the birds would have no place to sit, insects would
have no place to hide and the sun would not bury its feet in shadow. The trees do not look
attractive indoors. The poetess hereby emphasizes that trees need to be kept alive, but
should not be ‘imprisoned’ inside the house as they look more beautiful and tend to thrive
outdoors that is where trees belong. On the deeper level, we discover that Adrienne Rich
her concern about women and their emancipation. The liberation of the crushed women is
based on the same theme. In a male-dominated society, women are struggling to come out
of the clutches of men to gain freedom. The victorious march of the trees gives a message of
hope that mature can’t be tamed or subdued by the onslaughts and arrogance of man.
Q4. The trees in the poem stretch out their branches, break barriers and struggle hard to
move out in the open in their natural environment. Analyse the efforts that one puts in to
break away captivity and strive for freedom.
Ans. For anyone, freedom is much more important than any kind of comfort, growth or
development. Even when we have all the riches in the world but no freedom, we do not
really have anything. Freedom is the most wanted thing in this world. A bird in a golden cage
also does not feel happy. When it is freed, it flies chirpy and happy. And those who live with
bare minimum necessities but are able to live freely are always the happiest. Just like the
trees in the poem, freedom is gained after a lot of effort. For example, the freedom
movements of countries all around the world, where people give up their lives to get
freedom.
Q5. A conflict between man and nature is going on. In this civilization pursuit men are
disregarding the natural growth of plants and trees. In total confinement, nature also
rebels against civilization and becomes destructive. Elaborate.
Ans. In the conflict between man and nature, man has caused much harm to nature. With
civilization, man has learnt to acquire a lot of material goods but forgotten the importance
of nature and cut down large forests, killed animals, destroyed water bodies and done
several other such acts. But man wrongly judges nature to be weak, , while nature is the
most powerful.
No matter how technologically advanced we become, we can never prevent any natural
disaster from taking place. Such destructive forms of nature like flood, earthquake,
volcanoes, tornadoes, etc, teach man that the real power lies with nature and it can do
anything. Moreover, natural calamities are a reminder to man that by spoiling nature, man
is inviting threat to his peaceful existence as nature will lash back at man only in the form of
more rains, global warming etc.
Q6. ‘Departure is painful’. So is the departure of the trees for the poet. What will happen
after their departure?
Ans. Just like the departure of someone close to us is painful, so also is the departure of a
tree. When they are planted as a sapling, they look nice and enhance the beauty of our
surroundings. But as they grow and spread out their branches, they look wild and require
more space for their growth. The roots create cracks in the floor and the leaves stretch out
as if to move towards the glass, perhaps in need of sunlight. The soft twigs become strong
and stiff. So, the trees need to be removed from the house. No more do the leaves cover the
sky, but the trees breathe and they are welcomed by the wind. The moon resembles a
broken mirror, reflecting off the leaves. The poet reveals that she will feel lonely after the
trees’ departure.
MIJBIL THE OTTER
VALUE BASED QUESTIONS
Question 1.
In the name of rules and regulations, basic values are ignored but people like the
airhostess in ‘Mijbil the Otter’ are a ray of hope. What virtues do we find in the
airhostess?
Answer: The airhostess was somewhat friendly, and she allowed the narrator to place the
otter on his lap. She could relate and empathise with the situation faced by the narrator.
This shows that apart from being professional, she was a caring lady. She not only wanted to
do her job but was also responsible as she helped the narrator in finding the otter back.
She did all that she could do for Maxwell and the otter. She was hard working and was ready
to help as she did not say ‘no’ to help the narrator.
Question 2. The narrator called the airhostess the queen of her kind. This shows how
caring and supportive she was. Do you find such people these days? Are people having a
change in their values?
Answer: In today’s world, it is getting difficult to find people who show their care and
support. Rather than helping others, they start giving excuses and quote rules and
regulations. Earlier, people used to think about the situation faced by others and helped
them in all possible ways. This is changing because of the change in the values of the people.
People give first priority to their own safety and security. They care for themselves first and
then think about others.

Question 3. Why do you think the otter was not friendly at first with the narrator? Can you
relate this to the human nature as well? [CBSE 2016]
Answer: At first, the otter was not very friendly with the narrator as he had seen him for the
first time. He was brought to new place and new surroundings. He neither knew the
narrator nor the place which made him stay away from the narrator. But, as soon as he
started becoming comfortable with the surroundings, he became friendly and came close to
the narrator. This is very similar to the human nature. Even, the human beings first take
time to understand others and then only become friendly with them. Unless they are
comfortable in being with somebody, they try to stay away from that person.

THE NECKLACE
Value Based Questions
Question 1.
‘The Necklace’ reveals that vanity is an evil. It may bring joy for a short period but ultimately
it leads to ruin. If you were placed in a situation similar to that of Matilda, what would have
you done? Write your views. [Value Based Question]
Answer:
‘The necklace’, through the example of Matilda conveys a chore truth that one must value
what he has and cherish. His blessings rather than chase illusions in the form of material
possessions, because if one lacks contentment then there is no end to the chase.
Matilda should have valued the love of her husband rather than grumble about her
unfulfilled aspirations. And to look beautiful, one does not need to borrow expensive jewels;
it is the goodness of a person and the way one conducts, makes one beautiful.
Question 2.
‘Contentment is a great wealth.’ Explain with reference to Matilda—the main character of
this story. [Value Based Question]
Answer:
There is no doubt in saying that man’s final goal should be contentment. Human beings can
never be happy if they have unlimited desires and wants. This is shown by the character
Matilda who was never happy with what she had but always desired for more and more
which led her to ruin. Man should find happiness in what he has, rather than running after
what he does not have. It could be the cause of his unhappiness and sorrow.
FOG
Long Answer (Value Based Questions)
Question 1. Difficulties come but they are not to stay forever. They come and go.
Comment referring to the poem ‘Fog’.
Answer: Difficulties, when faced by people, tend to leave them hopeless and
shattered. It takes a lot of courage to overcome any problem and to solve it. If we
take a clue from the poem and compare difficulties to fog, we find that just like fog,
difficulties also come and go.
One need not be hopeless and lose courage when problems come, one should rather
think of it as fog, meaning that it has not come to stay but will always leave, like fog.
Question 2. Nature has many wonders that people take for granted and never pay
attention to. How is the poem ‘Fog’ different from this perspective?
Answer: The poet has taken utmost pleasure in nature and natural phenomenon like
fog. Fog is so special to the poet that he cared enough not only to write about it, but
also thinks of its resemblance with other things in the world. In his close attention to
fog, he found fog resembles a cat, in the way it moves and sits on its haunches. The
fact that such a resemblance was found by the poet shows how connected he is to
various things in nature. This poem serves as a motivation for people, who take
nature for granted to find such interesting comparisons and similarities around them.

MADAM RIDES THE BUS

Question 1.
In such a fast moving world when we hear so many incidents happening with people, do you
think Valli did right by not telling her mother about the bus journey? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
No, I don’t think that Valli did the right thing in travelling alone to the town without
informing her mother. By doing this, she put herself in a vulnerable position as she could
have easily been a victim of child abuse had she come in contact with wrong people. In fact,
she was lucky to return home safety.
Children should always travel along with their parents or elders as they are easy targets for
criminals. We hear a lot of instances of crime committed against children these days like
kidnapping, child abuse, molestation, rape etc. Valli could have expressed her desire of
travelling in the bus to her mother. I am sure that her mother would have fulfilled her wish
by talking her on a bus ride.

Question 2.
The people and surroundings are a great book to learn. Valli in the lesson ‘Madam Rides the
Bus’ learns a lot from others. Mention the traits of her character which help her to learn
from her surroundings.
Answer:
Valli dreamt of riding on the bus. Her eagerness to fulfil her dream fired her curiosity. This
curiousness led her to listen to the conversations of people going on the bus ride and asking
discreet questions so that she could gather as much information as she can regarding the
bus journey.
On the bus journey, Valli acted confidently and behaved maturedly. She did not consider
herself to be any less than an adult. She was focused on fulfilling her dream and did not get
tempted to go outside the bus and explore the town when the bus reached the town.
On the return journey, she learnt about death when she came to terms with the dead cow.
This made her aware of the fact that death is a part of life and should be accepted as it is a
natural phenomenon. Thus, the bus journey made her learn a lot of things.
Question 3.
Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great. Which
characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender
age? [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
In today’s era, age is no more a barrier. Children are doing wonders at a very young age.
Same goes with Valli. At an age of 8 years, Valli was able to pursue her dream all alone by
travelling in the bus to town. She was no different from others, except that she had certain
characteristics that made her fulfil her dreams. Valli was a very confident and a bold girl. She
had a knowledge of proper planning and execution. She controlled her wishes to save
money for the bus ride. Also, she was a very good observer and learner. All these qualities
made her realise the dream of visiting the town. Hence, one should always remember that
there is no age to learn and experience new things.

Question 4.
What kind of person is Valli? Illustrate your answer from the text that you have read.
[CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Valli was a determined, confident and brave girl. She was also a good planner and
executioner. She sacrificed a lot of things to achieve her dream. For example, she curbed the
temptation to buy sweets and riding on the merry-go-round in the fair so that she could
save money for the bus ride. Sacrificing all these things at such a tender age is very difficult
for a child. She also behaved confidently in the bus and did not get bobbed down in the
presence of elders.
When the bus reached the town, Valli did not succumb to the temptation of going out to
explore the town or having a drink. She did this as she had a limited amount of money which
she wanted to ‘save for her return journey. So, Valli used her money wisely. When the
conductor offered her a drink, she showed good manners in refusing to have it.
THE SERMON AT BENERAS
Question 1.
Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a period of grief in her
life. How does she behave in those circumstances? [CBSE 2013]
Answer:
After the death of Kisa Gotami’s only child, she became very sad. She carried her dead child
to her neighbours in order to get medicine to bring him to life. Her neighbours thought that
she had gone insane as she was unable to accept the fact that. It was then that someone
suggested her to meet Gautama Buddha. When she met Gautama Buddha he gave her an
exercise to do.She was asked to collect mustard seeds from a house where no one has ever
died. She went from one house to another but was unable to find a single house where no
one has died. This way she realised that death is a part of life and anyone who is born is
bound to die one day. Thus, Buddha changed her understanding of death by this exercise.
could come to terms with the truth.
Question 2.
Personal losses are a part and parcel of life. Instead of wailing on them, we should move on
in life. This message of Gautama Buddha has become more relevant in modern times. Do
you agree ? Why /why not? [CBSE2015]
Answer:
Yes, I agree with the message that Gautama Buddha has given about life. In the modem
times, people have a lot to explore and move with the world at the same pace. If people
don’t understand the practicality of life, they will be under stress which would in turn
affects, their personal and professional lives. People need to understand that everyone who
is born will have to die one day. There is no use being sad or crying over the loss. People
should remain calm and composed in such situations. They should face the truth and move
on in life.
Question 3.
What did Buddha say about death and suffering?
Answer:
After enlightenment, Buddha started to spread his teachings about life, truth and the likes
of it. He told that death and suffering are the part and parcel of life. None can avoid this
truth. One has to meet one’s destined end one day. Whoever has come to the world, will die
one day. In the hour of grief, one must remain calm and composed so that grief doesn’t
overcome one. People who are wise, never complain or lament over their loss. They accept
the truth and be blessed with it. So, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get
distressed with pain, suffering and death.
BHOLI
Question 1.
‘Dowry is negation of the girl’s dignity’. Discuss with reference to the story ‘Bholi’.
Answer:
A girl is an individual in her own right. Equal opportunities in life can help her become
independent and strong. She is not a burdensome object to be given away with money as
compensation. Thus dowry negates the girl’s dignity and self-respect.
The story ‘Bholi’ shows this in a dramatic manner. Bholi is thought to be ugly and dumb by
her parents. So, they are willing to pay dowry to an old man with a limp. So that he marries
her. Bholi, on the other hand, refuses to marry that man. She is educated; assertive and
capable of taking care of herself. She dedicates her life to service of her parents and
teaching at school.
Question 2.
Bholi chose a dignified life of service rather than surrendering herself to a greedy old man
for the rest of her life. Education provides the required stimulus to overcome one’s
personal barriers. Explain the role of education in shaping the life of a child with respect
to the lesson ‘Bholi’. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Education is the answer to all social ills. Illiteracy and ignorance bring nothing but poverty,
suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her disabilities. She is silent,
timid and weak in mind. Her ugliness and her stammer do not let her progress. She is afraid
to speak as others make fun of her.
School changes her life completely. It opens a new world of hope for her. Her teacher treats
her with love and kindness. Her affection and support help Bholi to have faith in herself. She
studies and grows into a confident young woman. She knows her rights and she asserts
them as well. She refuses to marry a man who demands dowry. Thus, being educated
changes the life of Bholi.
Question 3.
The chapter ‘Bholi’ highlights the discrimination against the girl child. Analyse.
Answer:
Nature does not discriminate, but society does. From time immemorial the world has
discriminated against the girl child. The chapter, ‘Bholi’ throws up many such instances.
Randal’s sons go to school and college. His daughters are not educated but married off. Her
mother does not think it necessary to take Bholi’s consent for her marriage. The groom is
old and lame. Still he demands dowry. Her father is ready to pay him also. It is the girl
herself who raises her voice against this marriage. She is criticised and humiliated for
standing up for her dignity. But she is firm and decides the course of her life.
Question 4.
Bholi is a child different from others. This difference makes her an object of neglect and
laughter. Elaborate.
Answer:
Society does not tolerate difference very easily. Bholi is not like others. She is slow for her
age. She stammers when she speaks. Small pox leaves her all covered with pock-marks. As a
result, she has to suffer a lot.
Her parents do not even bathe her. She is ignored and neglected. They take her only as a
burden. People laugh at her. Children imitate her when she speaks. So, she remains silent
most of the time. She has no confidence or self-esteem.
Society must realise that it must accept those who are different. They must be treated with
the same love and respect as others.
Question 5.
“Put the fear out of your heart and you will be able to speak like anyone else”. These
words of encouragement from the teacher highlight that change of social attitude and
encouragement can help a child like Bholi to become confident and face the world bravely.
Taking help from the lesson ‘Bholi’ write how the social attitude towards Bholi made her an
introvert. What should be done to help such children to face the world bravely?
Answer:
Bholi suffered a weak mind due to her accident (falling from her cot) during her infancy. She
also started to a stammer while speaking. Then she became ugly due to pock-marks on her
face and body on contracting the smallpox disease. All these made her family and other
children treat her badly, resulting in her becoming an introvert. To help such children face
the world bravely, we must treat them with love and affection and encourage them to join
mainstream society. We must not mock their disabilities; instead we should give them hope
that they can be as good as the other children by motivating and uplifting them.
THE PROPOSAL
Question 1.
The principle ‘forgive and forget’, helps a lot in maintaining cordial relations with our
neighbors. Do you think Anton Chekov conveys this message in the play ‘The Proposal’?
Answer:
Anton Chekov does convey the message that the principle of ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot
in -maintaining cordial relationship with one’s neighbours. Initially, the neighbours in the
play, Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov were fighting over petty issues. They were putting
important issues behind them and wasting their time by arguing over small things. These
arguments slowly developed into fights and they started hurling abuses at one another. This
damaged their relationship with each other.
It was when Natalya came to know that Lomov had come to propose her that she left the
topic of argument (Oxen Meadows) behind. She also asked for forgiveness from Lomov and
requested him to come to the point. Hence it is mandatory to ‘forgive and forget’ if one
wants to have cordial relationship with others.
Question 2.
The characters Natalya and Lomov lose their temper on trivial issues. It shows their poor
skills at anger management. Suggest some ways that help you in maintaining cordial
relationship with people around you.
Answer:
The way in which Lomov and Natalya lost their temper shows that how anger can easily
effect a relationship. Thus, it becomes very important to have good anger management
skills. Following are a few anger management skills that can be followed in one’s life. These
would also help in building healthy relationships.
1. Always follow the principle of ‘forgive and forget.’
2. Try to understand the person to whom you are talking.
3. Be helpful rather than being self-centric.
4. Always have empathy towards others.
5. irst listen and then speak.
6. Be as courteous as possible to everyone.
7. Don’t have the habit of always complaining about others.
Question 3.
Based on your understanding of the Play ‘The Proposal’ how do you think good relationships
can be maintained? Why in today’s time we see so many people going away from each
other?
Answer:
The play ‘The Proposal’ teaches us how anger and arguments can easily ruin a relationship.
Thus, to maintain a good relationship, it is important to have a control over your anger.
Having arguments over unimportant or small issues is extremely harmful and a waste of
time. If someone commits a mistake, one should be ready to forgive and forget rather than
being angry and arguing with the person endlessly. In today’s time people try to find only
the positives in others and do not easily accept their negatives. Hence is becoming
extremely difficult to maintain a good and cordial relationship with others.
Question 4.
It is a common observance that more attention is paid to unimportant issues at the cost of
important ones. The play ‘The Proposal’ beautifully portrays this fact. Suggest some steps
how we can avoid this unhealthy practice.
Answer:
It is true to an extent that people usually give more importance to the unimportant issues
forgetting their priorities. Just like how Lomov came to propose Natalya but due to their
argument that matter was left unaddressed. Thus, it becomes very important to set your
priorities in life. One must ignore the unimportant issues. It is a waste of time to have
discussions over them. One’ should not pay too much attention on the trivialities. This
energy can be saved on spending it over some useful and important issues that gives a
fruitful result.
Question 5.
Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not have.
Describe the first fight between them. [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
Lomov and Natalya meet and rather than proposing her he gets off the point. He tells her
how he inherited his land and how he respects her father. He also tells Natalya that his Oxen
meadows touch Natalya’s Birchwood. On hearing this, Natalya says that Oxen Meadows are
theirs. They start arguing about it. Lomov clarifies that he is talking about the Oxen
Meadows that are between her Birch woods and Burnt marsh. Natalya again insists that
they are theirs.
Lomov refuses it. He tells her that his aunt’s grandmother gave those meadows to her
father’s grandfather. The peasants used the land for forty years and started regarding it as
their own. Natalya’s father comes and also starts quarrelling with Lomov. They get into a
heated argument and resort to name-calling. After some time, Lomov leaves their house.

THE BOOK THAT SAVED THE EARTH

Question 1.
Noodle hails Think-Tank as the most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe.
Do you agree? Write your opinion of Think-Tank citing instances from the given text.
Answer:
Noodle is a trainee under Think-Tank. He bows before him and hails his ruler as the most
powerful and intelligent creature in the universe. However, Think-Tank is not really
intelligent. He misinterprets the nursery rhymes completely. ‘Silver’, ‘shells’ and ‘garden’ for
him mean that the earthlings are growing metals in farms.
He thinks books to be sandwiches and wants the crew to eat them. When he is read out the
nursery rhyme which says, ‘Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall’ he is terrified and plans his
escape from Mars Thus, Think-Tank in nothing more than a show off and a pompous fool.
Question 2.
Mars and Earth become friends. How?
Answer:
Think-Tank evacuates Mars and the martians move to Alpha Centauri. They fear an invasion
by Earth. In the twenty-fifty century, the two planets become friends. The wise and
wonderful Noodle replaces Think-Tank. Earthlings tell Martians the difference between
sandwiches and books.
They even taught them how to read. At the same time, they have created a model library for
Martians at Marsopolis. Still there is one thing that Martians have never learnt to do. They
have never tried to read the nursery rhymes of ‘Mother Goose’.
Question 3.
Compare and contrast the characters of Noodle and Think-Tank. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Noodle and Think-Tank have contrasting characters. Think-Tank likes to be called the ‘Great
and the Mighty’. He orders and commands. He is the ruler of Mars, but has no intelligence.
He thinks books to be sandwiches. He is wrong about everything. He demands that the crew
obey him. He likes to pass on other’s idea as his own. He is a coward who simply boasts
about his power.
Noodle, his apprentice, is very clever and wise. He corrects the mistakes of the ruler (Think-
Tank) very gently. He never takes credit for his ideas. But he offers them to the ruler very
gently. Think-Tank makes them as his own.
Question 4.
The play, The Book That Saved the Earth’ conveys the message that misunderstanding of
cultural differences between various races can cause confusion and conflict. Based on your
reading of the play, write how such confusion and conflicts can be checked so that peace
and harmony is maintained. [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
The confusion in the mind of Think-Tank occurred due to the literal interpretation of the
nursery rhymes in the book- ‘Mother Goose’. To ensure that conflicts are checked so that
peace and harmony are maintained, cultural differences should be sorted out by initially
sending mature and wise people from one culture to the other to establish contact before
deciding to wage war.
Think-Tank had sent an initial probe, but the crew members of the probe were not
sufficiently intelligent or mature to understand Earth’s culture. That is why they literally
interpreted the nursery rhymes and caused misunderstanding in the mind of Think-Tank.

THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

Question 1.
The dragon, custard was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his bravery in
adversity. Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are situational and
spontaneous. Express your views with reference to the poem.
Answer:
Custard’s humbleness won every reader’s heart as he showed true bravery and did not
boast like Belinda and her other pets. Everyone boasted of their bravery but when they
faced real danger, it was only Custard, who had the courage to face it. And he proved his
bravery by not running away and facing the pirate and killing him. Qualities like bravery and
courage can only be tested when someone is actually put in a dangerous situation.
Therefore, these qualities are situational as becomes clear from Custard’s example. Custard
looked for comfort all the time but this did not mean that he was a coward.
Question 2.
Do you think that one should be made fun of because of their ’preferences and choices in
life? Explain in the context of Custard, the dragon.
Answer:
It is not right to make fun of anyone on the basis of their life style and their choices. Custard,
the dragon, always wanted comfort and safety for him and therefore always cried for a nice
safe cage. Belinda and other pets of the house made fun of him because they thought that
he was a coward. Custard proved that just because he likes comfort, he is not a coward. In
fact, he was the only one, who had the courage to face the pirate and kill him.

For ANNE GREGORY

Value based questions
Question 1.
The poet in the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys that we should give importance to the
inner beauty and not the physical appearance. Elaborate with reference to the poem.
Answer:
In the conversation that takes place between Anne Gregory and another speaker, the poet
has tried to show that inner beauty is real beauty whereas physical appearance is
changeable and hence, unimportant. The first speaker says to Anne that young men love her
for her beautiful yellow hair and may never love her for what she really is. To this, Anne
replies that her hair-colour can be changed into black, brown or carrot, meaning that
external beauty is all superficial and men should not love her for that. Through Anne’s reply,
the poet has made clear his preference for internal beauty over physical appearance.

Question 2.
How right or wrong is it to judge someone on the basis of his/her physical appearance?
Answer:
Physical appearances never give the true account of a person as it can be changed with the
help of clothing, make-up and other such things.
Something which is not true and real should not be used to judge the person carrying it. A
person must be judged on the basis of his behaviour that shows the true characteristics of
his personality. This is explained by Anne in her reply to the first speaker that her beautiful
hair-colour which attracts men is changeable, hence, men should not fall in love with her
based on her-hair colour.

Question 3.
Why do you think the other speaker mentioned the old religious man and the text that
proves that only God can love Anne for herself alone?
Answer:
The speaker mentioned the text found by an old religious man that proves that only God can
love Anne for herself alone. It is so because the speaker wanted to tell Anne that her desire
that men should not see her outer beauty is not going to be fulfilled. The speaker tells Anne
that only God can be so great as to avoid external beauty and look beyond it. Man, on the
other hand, falls for all things that appear pretty from outside and never bothers about what
lies inside.