Class 10 English Chapter 1 Extract Based Question Answers - First Flight

1. Direction: Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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. We still have amongst us the mixers, the moulders and those who bake the loaves. Those age-old, time tested furnaces still exist. The fire in the furnaces has not yet been extinguished. The thud-and-jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo, heralding his arrival in the morning, can still be heard in some places. Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. These bakers are, even today. known as pader in Goa.

Q1: What are the elders nostalgic about?
Ans: The elders are nostalgic about the Portuguese and their loaves of bread.

Q2: How do they remember it?
Ans: They remember it fondly.

Q3: How is a traditional baker recognised?
Ans: A traditional baker is recognised with the thud and jingle of his bamboo.

Q4: Pick out the word from the passage which means opposite to Seldom.
Ans: often

2. Direction: Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so? Was it for the love of the loaf? Not at all. The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid servant of the house! What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Sometimes it was sweet bread of special make.

Q1: How do the children look upon the baker?
Ans: The children look upon the bakers as friends, companions and guides.

Q2: How did the children come to know about his arrival?
Ans: The jingling thud of his bamboo woke up the children from their sleep. They at once ran towards him.

Q3: When did the baker come the second time?
Ans: The baker came the second time after emptying his huge basket.

Q4: Pick out a word from the passage that means the same as- Desired.
Ans: longed for

3. Direction: Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the jhang, jhang’s sound of his specially made bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house with “Good Morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. 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. can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves Loaves for the elders and the bangles for the children. Then we did not even care to brush our teeth or wash our mouths properly.

Q1: How did the baker make his entry?
Ans: The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the jhang, jhang sound of his specially made bamboo stick.

Q2: How did he sell his loaves?
Ans: He sold his loaves in bamboo baskets. He would greet the ladies with good morning and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo.

Q3: What were the types of loaves he had?
Ans: He had loaves for elders and bread bangles for the children.

Q4: Pick out the word from the passage that means the same as- Stare into.
Ans: peep into

4. Direction: Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the ‘bol’, just as a party or a feast loses its charm without bread. Not enough can be said to show how important a baker can be for a village. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the presence of the baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely essential.

Q1: When are all the marriage gifts meaningless in Goa?
Ans: Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread.

Q2: What was important at the daughter’s engagement?
Ans: Preparation of sandwiches is important at the daughter’s engagement. 

Q3: What was in use for Christmas and other occasions?
Ans: Cakes and bolinhas were used for Christmas and other occasions.

Q4: Pick out the word from the passage that means the same as- Attraction.
Ans: charm

The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the ‘Kabai’. It was a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees. In our childhood we saw bakers wearing shirts and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. Even today, anyone who wears a half pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a pader.

Q1: What is Kabai?
Ans: Kabai is the traditional dress of a baker.

Q2: Describe the traditional peculiar dress of a baker?
Ans: It is a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees.

Q3: What did the narrator see in his childhood?
Ans: The narrator saw in his childhood that the bakers wore a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full length ones and longer than half pants.

Q4: Pick out the word from the passage which means the same as- strange.
Ans: peculiar

6. Direction: Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. 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.

Q1: When did the baker usually collect his bills?
Ans: The bakers usually collected his bills at the end of the month.

Q2: How were the monthly accounts maintained?
Ans: The monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil.

Q3: Who is generally compared to a baker?
Ans: Any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker. 

Q4: Pick out the word from the passage which means the same as- rich.
Ans: prosperous