NCERT Textbook: Madam rides the Bus | English Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


Let ’s Begin 1. In the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli took a bus ride on 
the bus that she wanted to for last several months. She knew 
that she had to buy tickets for this. So she saved money 
suppressing all temptation to buy things like peppermints, 
toys, balloons, etc., and paid for the ticket. 
•	 What all exciting things did she see from the bus?
•	 Was the excitement the same on her return journey?
Discuss with your classmate and write a paragraph based on 
your discussion on the above mentioned questions.
?
;
Unit 
7
Mada M rides 
the Bus ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Have you undertaken any journey by bicycle, boat, bus, 
train, or on an elephant back? Share your experience with 
your friends in the class.
Unit-7.indd   93 20-02-2023   09:42:36
Reprint 2025-26
Page 2


Let ’s Begin 1. In the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli took a bus ride on 
the bus that she wanted to for last several months. She knew 
that she had to buy tickets for this. So she saved money 
suppressing all temptation to buy things like peppermints, 
toys, balloons, etc., and paid for the ticket. 
•	 What all exciting things did she see from the bus?
•	 Was the excitement the same on her return journey?
Discuss with your classmate and write a paragraph based on 
your discussion on the above mentioned questions.
?
;
Unit 
7
Mada M rides 
the Bus ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Have you undertaken any journey by bicycle, boat, bus, 
train, or on an elephant back? Share your experience with 
your friends in the class.
Unit-7.indd   93 20-02-2023   09:42:36
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 94
Reading Comp Rehension 
t ext i Read the passage given below 
and answer the questions that 
follow.
Vishav Driman (65 year old) and her 
husband Kamal Jeet (69 year old) set out to discover 
the hidden treasure of Uttarakhand by bicycle. Vishav 
shares their post-retirement adventure.
Pedalling through the Golden Years
At a time when our peers were slowing down, relaxing 
and watching sunsets from their front porch, we found a 
new passion — cycling. We started out with short 
daily rides, but found ourselves looking forward 
to them more and more, so much that we decided 
to venture further and cover more ground. There 
were obvious health concerns — the risk of 
performing a physically strenuous activity at a 
high altitude, the most obvious of them. But 
it helped that we had lived in Uttarakhand’s 
capital, Dehradun, our entire lives, and were 
therefore acclimatised to the cold winds and 
narrow winding roads that characterise this 
beautiful state. We were also familiar with almost all 
the scenic mountain trails it had to offer. 
Short rides extended to longer ones as we started falling deeper 
in love with not just the sport, but the very idea of discovering 
a world we had always been a part of, but never had the time to 
explore. Soon, a simple hobby turned into a project of sorts, and 
we started participating in cyclotrons and other cycling events 
being held in the city. Admiration and encouragement poured 
in from family members, friends and neighbours along the way, 
sparking a new thought — was it possible to travel across the 
state 	 on	 our	 bicycles?	 It	 seemed	 daunting	 at	 ??rst, 	 but	 we	 knew	
we had to try. Our gear in place, our bikes serviced, and our 
minds set, we set off on an adventure we would remember for 
the rest of our lives.
acclimatised
cyclotrons
extended
strenuous
venture
Look Up 
and Understand Unit-7.indd   94 20-02-2023   09:42:37
Reprint 2025-26
Page 3


Let ’s Begin 1. In the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli took a bus ride on 
the bus that she wanted to for last several months. She knew 
that she had to buy tickets for this. So she saved money 
suppressing all temptation to buy things like peppermints, 
toys, balloons, etc., and paid for the ticket. 
•	 What all exciting things did she see from the bus?
•	 Was the excitement the same on her return journey?
Discuss with your classmate and write a paragraph based on 
your discussion on the above mentioned questions.
?
;
Unit 
7
Mada M rides 
the Bus ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Have you undertaken any journey by bicycle, boat, bus, 
train, or on an elephant back? Share your experience with 
your friends in the class.
Unit-7.indd   93 20-02-2023   09:42:36
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 94
Reading Comp Rehension 
t ext i Read the passage given below 
and answer the questions that 
follow.
Vishav Driman (65 year old) and her 
husband Kamal Jeet (69 year old) set out to discover 
the hidden treasure of Uttarakhand by bicycle. Vishav 
shares their post-retirement adventure.
Pedalling through the Golden Years
At a time when our peers were slowing down, relaxing 
and watching sunsets from their front porch, we found a 
new passion — cycling. We started out with short 
daily rides, but found ourselves looking forward 
to them more and more, so much that we decided 
to venture further and cover more ground. There 
were obvious health concerns — the risk of 
performing a physically strenuous activity at a 
high altitude, the most obvious of them. But 
it helped that we had lived in Uttarakhand’s 
capital, Dehradun, our entire lives, and were 
therefore acclimatised to the cold winds and 
narrow winding roads that characterise this 
beautiful state. We were also familiar with almost all 
the scenic mountain trails it had to offer. 
Short rides extended to longer ones as we started falling deeper 
in love with not just the sport, but the very idea of discovering 
a world we had always been a part of, but never had the time to 
explore. Soon, a simple hobby turned into a project of sorts, and 
we started participating in cyclotrons and other cycling events 
being held in the city. Admiration and encouragement poured 
in from family members, friends and neighbours along the way, 
sparking a new thought — was it possible to travel across the 
state 	 on	 our	 bicycles?	 It	 seemed	 daunting	 at	 ??rst, 	 but	 we	 knew	
we had to try. Our gear in place, our bikes serviced, and our 
minds set, we set off on an adventure we would remember for 
the rest of our lives.
acclimatised
cyclotrons
extended
strenuous
venture
Look Up 
and Understand Unit-7.indd   94 20-02-2023   09:42:37
Reprint 2025-26
Unit 7 – MadaM r idEs thE BUs 95
Sentences
In my opinion, there are very few ways to 
enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Uttarakhand 
and cycling is the most thrilling of them all. 
Sunlight 	 ??ltering 	 through	 the 	 trees	 and 	 a	 cool	
breeze gently caressing your faces as you ride, 
coupled with breathtaking views of sal forests 
spread like a green cover on the mountains 
and surrounding valleys, the experience of 
pedalling across the state is truly inexplicable.
Of the many trails we navigated, there is one 
that occupies a special place in our hearts. It 
began from Ghanta Ghar, a popular tourist 
attraction in Dehradun, it took us through 
some of the most picturesque locations of the state such as 
Kimadi, Hathi Paon, Mussoorie and Chaar Dukaan, right up to 
George Everest point. This 100km ride (approximately) is also 
one of the few routes in Uttarakhand that encapsulates all the 
element that one expects while cycling here — steep slopes, sharp 
curves, endless hills, lush forests, and off-road experiences.
(Source: by Vishav Driman, India Travel360)
caressing
daunting
encapsulates
inexplicable
picturesque
Look Up 
and Understand Q.1. What is the meaning of the expression “when our 
peers were slowing down, relaxing and watching 
sunsets from their front porch” and in what context 
has the author used this?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.2.	 What 	 made	 Vishav 	 and	 her 	 husband 	 con??dent 	 to 	
venture into Uttarakhand on their bicycles?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.3. What was the strong passion that prompted the 
retired couple to take up this adventurous journey?
Unit-7.indd   95 20-02-2023   09:42:39
Reprint 2025-26
Page 4


Let ’s Begin 1. In the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli took a bus ride on 
the bus that she wanted to for last several months. She knew 
that she had to buy tickets for this. So she saved money 
suppressing all temptation to buy things like peppermints, 
toys, balloons, etc., and paid for the ticket. 
•	 What all exciting things did she see from the bus?
•	 Was the excitement the same on her return journey?
Discuss with your classmate and write a paragraph based on 
your discussion on the above mentioned questions.
?
;
Unit 
7
Mada M rides 
the Bus ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Have you undertaken any journey by bicycle, boat, bus, 
train, or on an elephant back? Share your experience with 
your friends in the class.
Unit-7.indd   93 20-02-2023   09:42:36
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 94
Reading Comp Rehension 
t ext i Read the passage given below 
and answer the questions that 
follow.
Vishav Driman (65 year old) and her 
husband Kamal Jeet (69 year old) set out to discover 
the hidden treasure of Uttarakhand by bicycle. Vishav 
shares their post-retirement adventure.
Pedalling through the Golden Years
At a time when our peers were slowing down, relaxing 
and watching sunsets from their front porch, we found a 
new passion — cycling. We started out with short 
daily rides, but found ourselves looking forward 
to them more and more, so much that we decided 
to venture further and cover more ground. There 
were obvious health concerns — the risk of 
performing a physically strenuous activity at a 
high altitude, the most obvious of them. But 
it helped that we had lived in Uttarakhand’s 
capital, Dehradun, our entire lives, and were 
therefore acclimatised to the cold winds and 
narrow winding roads that characterise this 
beautiful state. We were also familiar with almost all 
the scenic mountain trails it had to offer. 
Short rides extended to longer ones as we started falling deeper 
in love with not just the sport, but the very idea of discovering 
a world we had always been a part of, but never had the time to 
explore. Soon, a simple hobby turned into a project of sorts, and 
we started participating in cyclotrons and other cycling events 
being held in the city. Admiration and encouragement poured 
in from family members, friends and neighbours along the way, 
sparking a new thought — was it possible to travel across the 
state 	 on	 our	 bicycles?	 It	 seemed	 daunting	 at	 ??rst, 	 but	 we	 knew	
we had to try. Our gear in place, our bikes serviced, and our 
minds set, we set off on an adventure we would remember for 
the rest of our lives.
acclimatised
cyclotrons
extended
strenuous
venture
Look Up 
and Understand Unit-7.indd   94 20-02-2023   09:42:37
Reprint 2025-26
Unit 7 – MadaM r idEs thE BUs 95
Sentences
In my opinion, there are very few ways to 
enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Uttarakhand 
and cycling is the most thrilling of them all. 
Sunlight 	 ??ltering 	 through	 the 	 trees	 and 	 a	 cool	
breeze gently caressing your faces as you ride, 
coupled with breathtaking views of sal forests 
spread like a green cover on the mountains 
and surrounding valleys, the experience of 
pedalling across the state is truly inexplicable.
Of the many trails we navigated, there is one 
that occupies a special place in our hearts. It 
began from Ghanta Ghar, a popular tourist 
attraction in Dehradun, it took us through 
some of the most picturesque locations of the state such as 
Kimadi, Hathi Paon, Mussoorie and Chaar Dukaan, right up to 
George Everest point. This 100km ride (approximately) is also 
one of the few routes in Uttarakhand that encapsulates all the 
element that one expects while cycling here — steep slopes, sharp 
curves, endless hills, lush forests, and off-road experiences.
(Source: by Vishav Driman, India Travel360)
caressing
daunting
encapsulates
inexplicable
picturesque
Look Up 
and Understand Q.1. What is the meaning of the expression “when our 
peers were slowing down, relaxing and watching 
sunsets from their front porch” and in what context 
has the author used this?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.2.	 What 	 made	 Vishav 	 and	 her 	 husband 	 con??dent 	 to 	
venture into Uttarakhand on their bicycles?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.3. What was the strong passion that prompted the 
retired couple to take up this adventurous journey?
Unit-7.indd   95 20-02-2023   09:42:39
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 96
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.4. What, according to the author, is the most thrilling 
way to enjoy and appreciate Uttarakhand? Why does 
she say so?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.5. Which trail occupies a special place in the couple’s 
heart?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.6. What are the expectations of a cyclist from such 
an adventurous trip through the mountains? Did 
Vishav and Kamal Jeet get these experiences from 
the 100 km ride?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
heedful
poised
slackens
treadles
vale
Look Up 
and Understand t ext ii Read the poem given below and answer the questions that 
follow.
Going Down Hill on a Bicycle, A Boy’s Song
With lifted feet, hands still,
I am poised, and down the hill
Dart, with heedful mind;
The air goes by in a wind.
Swifter and yet more swift,
Till the heart with a mighty lift
Unit-7.indd   96 20-02-2023   09:42:39
Reprint 2025-26
Page 5


Let ’s Begin 1. In the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, Valli took a bus ride on 
the bus that she wanted to for last several months. She knew 
that she had to buy tickets for this. So she saved money 
suppressing all temptation to buy things like peppermints, 
toys, balloons, etc., and paid for the ticket. 
•	 What all exciting things did she see from the bus?
•	 Was the excitement the same on her return journey?
Discuss with your classmate and write a paragraph based on 
your discussion on the above mentioned questions.
?
;
Unit 
7
Mada M rides 
the Bus ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Have you undertaken any journey by bicycle, boat, bus, 
train, or on an elephant back? Share your experience with 
your friends in the class.
Unit-7.indd   93 20-02-2023   09:42:36
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 94
Reading Comp Rehension 
t ext i Read the passage given below 
and answer the questions that 
follow.
Vishav Driman (65 year old) and her 
husband Kamal Jeet (69 year old) set out to discover 
the hidden treasure of Uttarakhand by bicycle. Vishav 
shares their post-retirement adventure.
Pedalling through the Golden Years
At a time when our peers were slowing down, relaxing 
and watching sunsets from their front porch, we found a 
new passion — cycling. We started out with short 
daily rides, but found ourselves looking forward 
to them more and more, so much that we decided 
to venture further and cover more ground. There 
were obvious health concerns — the risk of 
performing a physically strenuous activity at a 
high altitude, the most obvious of them. But 
it helped that we had lived in Uttarakhand’s 
capital, Dehradun, our entire lives, and were 
therefore acclimatised to the cold winds and 
narrow winding roads that characterise this 
beautiful state. We were also familiar with almost all 
the scenic mountain trails it had to offer. 
Short rides extended to longer ones as we started falling deeper 
in love with not just the sport, but the very idea of discovering 
a world we had always been a part of, but never had the time to 
explore. Soon, a simple hobby turned into a project of sorts, and 
we started participating in cyclotrons and other cycling events 
being held in the city. Admiration and encouragement poured 
in from family members, friends and neighbours along the way, 
sparking a new thought — was it possible to travel across the 
state 	 on	 our	 bicycles?	 It	 seemed	 daunting	 at	 ??rst, 	 but	 we	 knew	
we had to try. Our gear in place, our bikes serviced, and our 
minds set, we set off on an adventure we would remember for 
the rest of our lives.
acclimatised
cyclotrons
extended
strenuous
venture
Look Up 
and Understand Unit-7.indd   94 20-02-2023   09:42:37
Reprint 2025-26
Unit 7 – MadaM r idEs thE BUs 95
Sentences
In my opinion, there are very few ways to 
enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Uttarakhand 
and cycling is the most thrilling of them all. 
Sunlight 	 ??ltering 	 through	 the 	 trees	 and 	 a	 cool	
breeze gently caressing your faces as you ride, 
coupled with breathtaking views of sal forests 
spread like a green cover on the mountains 
and surrounding valleys, the experience of 
pedalling across the state is truly inexplicable.
Of the many trails we navigated, there is one 
that occupies a special place in our hearts. It 
began from Ghanta Ghar, a popular tourist 
attraction in Dehradun, it took us through 
some of the most picturesque locations of the state such as 
Kimadi, Hathi Paon, Mussoorie and Chaar Dukaan, right up to 
George Everest point. This 100km ride (approximately) is also 
one of the few routes in Uttarakhand that encapsulates all the 
element that one expects while cycling here — steep slopes, sharp 
curves, endless hills, lush forests, and off-road experiences.
(Source: by Vishav Driman, India Travel360)
caressing
daunting
encapsulates
inexplicable
picturesque
Look Up 
and Understand Q.1. What is the meaning of the expression “when our 
peers were slowing down, relaxing and watching 
sunsets from their front porch” and in what context 
has the author used this?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.2.	 What 	 made	 Vishav 	 and	 her 	 husband 	 con??dent 	 to 	
venture into Uttarakhand on their bicycles?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.3. What was the strong passion that prompted the 
retired couple to take up this adventurous journey?
Unit-7.indd   95 20-02-2023   09:42:39
Reprint 2025-26
Words and Expr Essions 2 – Class x 96
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.4. What, according to the author, is the most thrilling 
way to enjoy and appreciate Uttarakhand? Why does 
she say so?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.5. Which trail occupies a special place in the couple’s 
heart?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Q.6. What are the expectations of a cyclist from such 
an adventurous trip through the mountains? Did 
Vishav and Kamal Jeet get these experiences from 
the 100 km ride?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
heedful
poised
slackens
treadles
vale
Look Up 
and Understand t ext ii Read the poem given below and answer the questions that 
follow.
Going Down Hill on a Bicycle, A Boy’s Song
With lifted feet, hands still,
I am poised, and down the hill
Dart, with heedful mind;
The air goes by in a wind.
Swifter and yet more swift,
Till the heart with a mighty lift
Unit-7.indd   96 20-02-2023   09:42:39
Reprint 2025-26
Unit 7 – MadaM r idEs thE BUs 97
Sentences
Makes the lungs laugh, the throat cry:—
“O 	bird, 	see; 	see, 	bird,	 I 	 ??y.
“Is this, is this your joy?
O bird, then I, though a boy,
For a golden moment share
Your feathery life in air!”
Say, heart, is there aught like this
In a world that is full of bliss?
‘Tis more than skating, bound
Steel-shod to the level ground.
Speed 	slackens	 now,	 I	??oat
Awhile in my airy boat;
Till, when the wheels scarce crawl,
My feet to the treadles fall.
Alas, that the longest hill
Must end in a vale; but still,
Who climbs with toil, wheresoe’er,
Shall 	??nd 	wings	 waiting 	 there.
Henry Charles Beeching     Q.1. The poem describes the ________________________ of 
going downhill on a bicycle.
 (a) enjoyment
 (b) happiness
 (c) excitement
 (d) satisfaction
Q.2. Which line(s) depict the freedom like that of a bird 
that the poet enjoys?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
Unit-7.indd   97 20-02-2023   09:42:40
Reprint 2025-26