NCERT Solutions - Kathmandu

Page No: 131

Thinking about the Text

Q1. On the following map mark out the route, that the author thought of but did not take, to Delhi.

Ans: The author considered a route from Kathmandu to Delhi that involved several stages. First, he would travel by bus and train from Kathmandu to Patna. Next, he would sail from Patna to Allahabad along the Ganges River. Finally, he would continue his journey from Allahabad to Delhi by boat on the Yamuna River.

I. Answer these questions in one or two words or short phrases.

Page No: 132

​​Q1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Ans: The two temples the author visited in Kathmandu were the Pashupatinath temple and the  Baudhnath Stupa. 

Q2. The writer says, "All this I wash down with Coca-Cola." What does 'all this' refer to?
Ans: 'All this' refers to the writer's small meal and reading material: a bar of marzipan, a corn-on-the-cob roasted over a charcoal brazier and seasoned with salt, chilli powder and lemon, together with a couple of love-story comics and a copy of Reader's Digest. He washes these down with Coca-Cola and an overly sweet orange drink, which, he says, makes him feel much better.

Q3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Ans: Vikram Seth compares the fifty or sixty bansuris that extend from the pole of a flute seller to the quills of a porcupine. The flutes, made of bamboo, stick out in many directions and together resemble the sharp, radiating quills of a porcupine.

Q4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Ans: The reed neh, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri used in Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America, and the high-pitched Chinese flutes.

II. Answer each question in a short paragraph.

Q1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Ans: The author notices that the flute seller is unlike the other hawkers in his manner and method. While most hawkers shout, advertise loudly and try to attract customers by display and noise, the flute seller is calm and unassuming. He plays his flute slowly and meditatively so that the music itself draws attention. Selling seems incidental to him; his quiet music rises above the market clamour and attracts people without any forceful selling tactics.

Q2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Ans: At Pashupatinath there is a small shrine that projects from the stone platform on the river bank of the Bagmati. Devotees believe that when this shrine becomes fully visible and the goddess inside it escapes, the evil period known as Kaliyug on earth will come to an end.

Q3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples of each of
(i) the atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the priest's attention are elbowed aside...)
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears
Ans:
(i) The author has drawn powerful images and pictures of the atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside the temple of Pashupatinath. These include the following: a group of saffron-clad Westerners struggling to enter the main gate as only Hindus were allowed to enter the temple; a fight that breaks out between two monkeys; and a royal Nepalese princess for whom everyone makes way.

(ii) In terms of sights, he observes the Baudhnath Stupa, characterised by its immense white dome surrounded by a road. Small shops line the outer edge, selling items such as felt bags, Tibetan prints, and silver jewellery, and the area is notably free of crowds. On the bustling streets of Kathmandu, he sees fruit sellers, flute vendors, and hawkers selling postcards, Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils, and Nepalese antiques.

(iii) The sounds he hears include film songs blaring from radios, car horns, bicycle bells, and vendors shouting their wares. He also enjoys the flute music, which he describes as both the most universal and the most particular of sounds.

III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100 - 150 words each.

Q1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupathinath temple.

Ans: The atmosphere at the Pashupatinath temple is noisy and full of activity. Worshippers jostle to gain the priest's attention, foreigners in saffron robes try to enter restricted areas, monkeys quarrel and a cremation takes place on the banks of the Bagmati river. Washerwomen and children add to the busy, sometimes chaotic scene. By contrast, the Baudhnath stupa is calm and peaceful. Its large white dome and the surrounding circumambulatory road create a serene space. Small Tibetan-run shops sit quietly on the periphery, and there is a sense of order and reflection rather than the bustling confusion found at Pashupatinath.

Q2. How does the author describe Kathmandu's busiest streets?
Ans: Kathmandu's narrow, busiest streets are full of life and colour. Small shrines and flower-adorned deities share space with a variety of vendors. The streets are crowded with fruit sellers, flute sellers and hawkers selling postcards, Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. The air is noisy with film songs from radios, car horns, bicycle bells and sellers shouting. Stray cows move among people and carts. Amid this lively bustle, the flute seller stands out because his gentle music rises above the noise, creating a brief moment of calm.
Q3. "To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind." Why does the author say this?
Ans: The author believes that flute music expresses something universal about human experience. Flutes appear in many cultures - the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani music and high-pitched Chinese flutes - each with different fingering and range. Yet all rely on the human breath as their motive force and produce tones that are close to the human voice. Because breath and voice are shared features of all people, listening to any flute creates a sense of shared humanity despite differences of caste, culture and religion. The flute thus becomes a simple but powerful reminder of what people have in common.

Thinking about Language

I. Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicized phrases. Then match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1. A communal war broke out when the princess was abducted by the neighboring prince.
2. The cockpit broke off from the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4. The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of their father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.

Ans:

II. 
Q1. Use the suffix -ion or -tion to form nouns from the following verbs. Make the necessary changes in the spelling of the words.
Example: proclaim - proclamation

 
Ans: 
1.

Q2. Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.

(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the ___________ of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ____________.
(iii) I could not resist the _____________ to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and ___________are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with ______________after being made to stand in the sun.
Ans: 
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks direction.
(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.
(iv) Hard work and dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.

III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he marched up to an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no need to get mad just because you don't know the answer
Answer 
An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle. One day, he asked the tiger, "Who is stronger than you?" "You, O lion!" replied the tiger. "Who is more fierce than a leopard?" asked the lion. "You sir," replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air, and threw him down. "Look," said the lion, "there is no need to get mad just because you don't know the answer."
Page No: 134

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IV. Simple Present Tense
In these sentences words like every day, often, seldom, never, every month, generally, usually, etc. may be used.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

(i) The heart is a pump that ____________(send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action ____________(take place) when the left ventricle of the heart ____________(contract). This ____________(force) the blood out into the arteries, which ____________(expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it ____________(dig) a pit and ____________(enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule ____________(dry) and ____________(harden), but when rain ____________(come), the mud ____________(dissolve) and the lungfish ____________(swim) away.
(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. ____________(Do) anyone play an instrument?
Vipul:Rohit ____________(play) the flute.
Mahesh: ____________(Do) he also act?
Vipul: No, he ____________(compose) music.
Mahesh: That's wonderful!

Ans: 
(i) The heart is a pump that sends the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. This forces the blood out into the arteries, which expand to receive the oncoming blood.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it digs a pit and encloses itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries and hardens, but when the rain comes, the mud dissolves and the lungfish swims away.

(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. Does anyone play an instrument?
Vipul: Rohit plays the flute.
Mahesh: Does he also act?
Vipul: No, he composes music.
Mahesh: That's wonderful!