Question Bank — First Flight 5 — Glimpses of India

QUESTION BANK

First Flight — Unit 5: Glimpses of India

(A Baker from Goa, Coorg, Tea from Assam & The Trees)

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

1. The elders in Goa are nostalgic about
   a) the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread
   b) the Dutch traders
   c) modern bakeries
   d) coffee plantations

2. The traditional baker in Goa is still known as
   a) pader
   b) bol
   c) kabai
   d) kuppia

3. Assertion (A): Bread and cakes are an integral part of Goan life even today.
   Reason (R): Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread called bol and cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

4. The people of Coorg are believed to be of
   a) Greek or Arabic descent
   b) Portuguese descent
   c) Tibetan descent
   d) British descent

5. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to
   a) carry firearms without a licence
   b) grow coffee
   c) wear the kuppia
   d) practise river-rafting

6. Assertion (A): The theory of Arab origin of the Kodavus is supported by their dress.
   Reason (R): The long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

7. Rajvir was particularly excited on the train journey because he
   a) saw tea gardens for the first time
   b) was reading a detective story
   c) was going to meet Pranjol’s parents
   d) wanted to drink garam chai

8. The second-flush period in the tea gardens lasts from
   a) May to July
   b) September to March
   c) January to April
   d) August to October

9. In the poem “The Trees”, the roots work all night to
   a) disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor
   b) find water
   c) support the branches
   d) break the glass

10. The poet in “The Trees” compares the long-cramped boughs to
    a) newly discharged patients
    b) soldiers marching
    c) birds flying
    d) rivers flowing

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“Our elders are often heard reminiscing nostalgically about those good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread. Those eaters of loaves might have vanished but the makers are still there.”

i. Who is the speaker and what is the context?
ii. What does the phrase “reminiscing nostalgically” tell us about the elders’ feelings?
iii. Identify the literary device used in “Those eaters of loaves might have vanished but the makers are still there.”
iv. Give the meaning of “reminiscing” as used in the extract.

Extract 2

“Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover thirty per cent of this district.”

i. Where is Coorg located?
ii. What percentage of Coorg is covered by evergreen rainforests?
iii. Name the literary device used in “a piece of heaven that must have drifted from the kingdom of god.”
iv. What does the extract suggest about the main crops of Coorg?

Extract 3

“The trees inside are moving out into the forest,
the forest that was empty all these days
where no bird could sit
no insect hide
no sun bury its feet in shadow…”

i. Where are the trees located at the beginning of the poem?
ii. What does the poet mean by “the forest that was empty all these days”?
iii. Identify the literary device in “no sun bury its feet in shadow”.
iv. What change is going to take place by morning?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

(Answer in 40–50 words)

1. Why did the children in Goa eagerly wait for the baker every day?
2. Describe the traditional dress of the baker in Goa during Portuguese days and in the author’s childhood.
3. What is the story about the descent of the Kodavu people?
4. Why does Pranjol not share Rajvir’s excitement on seeing the tea gardens?
5. What picture of the trees does the poet create in the first stanza of “The Trees”?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

(Answer in 100–120 words)

1. The baker was not merely a bread-seller but an important part of Goan society. Justify with examples from the text.
2. How does the poem “The Trees” present the conflict between man and nature? Explain with suitable examples.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

1. Vocabulary/Grammar
   From the unit, fill in the blanks with appropriate words:
   a) The elders are often heard _ nostalgically about the Portuguese days.
   b) The air of Coorg breathes of _ coffee.
   c) The leaves _ toward the glass in the poem “The Trees”.
   d) The second-flush period _ the best tea.

2. Writing Task
   You visited Coorg during your summer vacation. Write a diary entry (100–120 words) describing the scenic beauty, the people, and the adventurous activities you enjoyed.