Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

English Class 10 Chapter "Glimpses of India" includes three short stories. The last part of this chapter is "Tea from Assam" by Arup Kumar Datta. This story is about two friends exploring the tea gardens of Assam and also learning the legends behind them. Let's see some Long Answer Questions of the chapter: Q1: “You seem to have done your homework before coming.” Answer the given question in the light of this statement. Rajvir seemed to have a lot of information about tea. What all did he tell? What character trait of his is revealed? Is it essential for children?

Ans: Rajvir was invited by his classmate Pranjol to spend his holidays at Pranjol's father's tea estate in Assam. Rajvir was looking forward to the trip and had already gathered a lot of information about tea, including where it came from and how it became a popular drink. He shared that around 80 crore cups of tea are drunk every day and that the word 'tea' comes from the Chinese language. He also mentioned two famous stories about how tea originated. Rajvir shows an important quality that is essential for learning—curiosity and a strong desire to learn. He doesn't just wait to learn from experience; instead, he actively gathers information beforehand. He likes to prepare well before visiting a new place. This is a great habit, and children should develop the practice of learning about places they plan to visit. These qualities are highly valuable for all learners.

Q2: Where were Pranjol and Rajvir going? What did Rajvir see when he looked out of the train on the way?

Ans:  Pranjol belonged to Assam. He was studying at 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 traveled to Assam on a train. When the train stopped at a station, a vendor called, ‘chai-garam garam-chaff'. 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 a 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.

Q3: What information did Rajvir share with Pranjol and his father?

Ans: Rajvir had a lot of information about tea. He told Pranjol that though there are many legends about it, no one knows about the origin of it. One Chinese legend says that it was accidentally discovered by a Chinese Emperor. Another legend, which is Indian, says that it was discovered by Bodhidharma. The legend says that he cut off his eyelids as he felt himself sleepy during meditation and tea plants grew out of them to vanish sleep when they were drunk. He also knew that tea was first drunk in China in 2700 B.C. and it reached Europe in the sixteenth century as a medicine. He also informed Pranjol that the words ‘tea’, ‘chai’, and ‘chini’ are Chinese. He even knew about the sprouting season on the second flush which is the best in the world.

Q4: What did Rajvir tell Pranjol about the discovery of tea?

Ans: Rajvir said that no one knows who discovered tea. He told Pranjol that there were many legends attached 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 of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the water. As a result, the boiled water had a delicious flavor. It is said they were tea leaves. According to another Indian legend, Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist monk, fell asleep 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 drank vanished sleep. It is believed that tea was first drunk in China in 2700 B.C. Words like ‘chaff’ 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.

Q5:  It seems that Rajvir had done a lot of homework regarding tea and its history. Do you support Pranjol’s father’s statement that he gave about Rajvir’s knowledge in this regard?

Ans: It is true that Rajvir had never visited a tea estate ever before in his life. His visit to Dhekiabari Tea Estate was at the invitation of his classmate Pranjol whose father managed the estate. But Rajvir seemed to have done a lot of homework and reading about tea and tea plantations before coming to Assam. He told Pranjol that tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. More than eighty crores of cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. When he saw an ugly building with smoke blowing out of its tall buildings, he at once cried “Hey, a tea garden!”. Actually, he had been reading as much about tea as he could. He narrated different legends regarding the discovery of tea leaves. It was Rajvir who narrated the legends describing how tea leaves were discovered in India and China. Rajvir impressed and surprised Pranjol’s father with his deep knowledge of tea leaves. When he saw a tractor pulling a trailer load of tea leaves he recognized that it was the second flush or sprouting period. He also knew that it continues from May and to July and yields the best tea.

Q6: Pranjol was born and brought up on a tea estate in Assam but he was Rajvir who knew much about tea leaves and the legends associated with tea. Base your answer on their visit to Dhekiabari Tea Estate in Assam.

Ans: It is true that Pranjol was born and brought up on a tea plantation. His father managed the Dhekiabari Tea Estate in Assam. However, his friend Rajvir’s knowledge about tea and its history was more profound than his. The reason was simple. Rajvir had done a lot of reading about tea and its history. He even surprised Pranjol’s father with his in-depth knowledge of the subject. Rajvir’s visit to Dhekiabari was an opportunity for him to connect his reading and knowledge to the real existing tea plantation. He was fascinated by the magnificent sea of tea bushes stretching as far as his eyes could go. He saw with his own eyes the groups of tea pluckers, with bamboo baskets on their backs, plucking the newly sprouted leaves. His studies helped him to recognize that the trailer-load of tea leaves was the second flush or the sprouting period that gave the best tea.

Also Check at EduRev:

• Detailed Summary: Glimpses of India (Part- III) Tea from Assam
• Video Summary: Glimpses of India (Part- III) Tea from Assam