NCERT Solutions for Chapter 6 My Childhood Class 9 English Beehive
Chapter Name | My Childhood NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 9 |
Textbook Name | Beehive |
Related Readings |
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Thinking about the Text
Activity
Question 1: Find Dhanuskodi and Rameswaram on the map. What language (s) do you think are spoken there? What language do you think the author, his family, his friends and his teachers spoke with one another?
Answer
Tamil is the language spoken in Dhanuskodi and Rameswaram. The author, his Family, his friends, and his teachers also spoke Tamil with one another.
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each:
Question 1: Where was Abdul Kalam's house?
Answer
Abdul Kalam's house was located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram in the state of Madras.
Question 2: What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer
Dinamani is the name of a local newspaper. This is because Abdul Kalam always traced stories about the war in Dinamani's headlines.
Question 3: Who were Abdul Kalam's school friends? What did they later become?
Answer
Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam's school friends. Later, Ramanadha Sastry became the highest priest of the Rameswaram Temple, Aravindan became a transport assistant for pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan was working for the Southern Railway as a catering contractor.
Question 4: How did Abdul Kalam earn his 'first wages'?
Answer
Abdul Kalam earned his 'first wages' by helping his cousin to catch newspaper bundles which were thrown out from the moving train.
Question 5: Had he earned money before that? In what way?
Answer
Yes, Abdul Kalam had earned some money before that. He collected tamarind seeds and sold them on Mosque Street in Second World War when the demand of tamarind seeds were high. On an average, he earned one anna a day.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
Question 1: How does the author describe:
(i) his father
(ii) his mother
(iii) himself
Answer
(i) His father: Abdul Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen, was neither wealthy nor educated. But he was honest, generous, and had a deep inborn wisdom. His self-discipline let him to avoid all unnecessary luxuries, while providing all the necessities.
(ii) His mother: Abdul Kalam's mother, Ashiamma, embodied goodness and kindness and was an ideal helpmate. she also possessed excellent hospitality skills and she fed several people each day.
(iii) Himself: The author portrayed himself as a short boy with ordinary looks, who had a secure childhood. He is a self- disciplined and honest person with a thoughtful attitude.
Question 2: What characteristics does he say, he inherited from his parents?
Answer
The author said that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, and inherited quality of faith in goodness and a kind heart from his mother.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answer in two or three paragraphs each.
Question 1: "On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups," says the author.
(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?
(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam's house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Answer
(i) He mentions two social groups in Rameswaram: the Orthodox Brahmins and the Muslims. Yes, these groups were identifiable by their clothing, traditions, rituals and culture. For example: Kalam wore a cap indicating his Muslim identity, while Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread indicating his Hindu identity.
(ii) They shared friendships and experiences despite their caste differences.
Kalam's mother and grandmother often told bedtime stories to the children about Ramayana and Prophet events. His friends Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were from orthodox brahmin families but none of them ever felt any differences amongst ourselves. Abdul Kalam's family also arranged boats with a special platform during the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, which was held in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha near their home.
(iii) There were two people who were aware of the differences among them: the young teacher who taught Kalam's class (the fifth standard) and the science teacher's conservative wife who denied to serve Kalam in her pure kitchen.Those who tried to bridge these differences were Kalam's science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer who invited, served, and dined with him to the social barriers that the society proposed and Lakshmana Sastry who summoned the teacher and conveyed the strong conviction to the young teacher to bring about betterment.
(iv) When the new teacher came to teach Kalam's class, it showed how differences could be dealt with. When he noticed a Muslim student sitting next to a Hindu student, he told Kalam to sit in the last row back. However, Lakshmana Sastry advised the teacher not to spread the poison of social inequality and intolerance among the children. The second example of differences was when Sivasubramania Iyer's wife showed a hostile reaction towards Kalam when offering him food from her pure kitchen. A similar situation was resolved when Kalam's science teacher invited him to his house again.
Question 2: (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram ?
(ii) What did his father say to this?
(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Answer
(i) Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram because he was very passionate about pursuing higher education. He requested his father's permission to study in Ramanathapuram, the district headquarters.
(ii) Kalam's father said he knew Kalam would have to leave one day to grow. He compared him to a seagull that flies across the sun alone and without a nest.
(iii) His words were meant to encourage his son to achieve his goals and also to control the emotional attachment of his wife towards Kalam.
He spoke those words because His father inspired him to pursue higher education without any obstacle. He wanted to give him the time to utilize his opportunities and move forward in his life.
Thinking about language
I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:
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erupt surge trace undistinguished casualty |
Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used. Now Answer the questions below:
Question 1: What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
Question 2: What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?
Question 3: Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished means.)
Answer
1. A few things that can erupt include - volcano, tooth, anger, riots, unrest, rashes or pimples on the surface of the skin etc. The meanings of erupt with examples are given as follows:
(i) Something that began unexpectedly - Example: War erupted in the city.
(ii) Something bursting into flames - Example: The tiny spark within no time erupted into flames.
(iii) Become active and eject lava - Example: The molten lava erupted out of the active volcano.
(iv) Violent release of something pent up - Example: The discussions soon erupted into a heated argument.
(v) Break out - Example: The eruption of the wisdom tooth is very painful.
(vi) Sudden appearance on the skin - Example: A pimple erupted on her face just after removing the oil and dirt.
A few things that can surge include pride, anxiety, army, boat, waves etc. The meanings of surge with examples are given as follows:
(i) A sudden forceful flow - Example: The boy drowned in the constantly surging waves.
(ii) Move upwards under the influence of a natural force - Example: The boat kept surging in the high and low tide.
(iii) Rise and move forward - Example: The army steadily surged towards their enemy.
(iv) An improvement or achievement through one's performance - Example: I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money.
2. The following are the meanings of the word trace -
(i) Follow or discover something via the course of development or through the medium of investigation
(ii) To go back over again
(iii) Make a mark or lines on a plain surface
(iv) Reading with difficulty
(v) Pursue or chase something
The closest meaning of the word 'trace' in the text is 'to find or discover through investigation."
3. The meaning of the word 'undistinguished' can be derived from the meaning of 'distinguished' which refers to special or eminent appearance or behaviour of a person. Therefore, undistinguished would symbolize 'ordinary appearance or behaviour of a person.' For example - I was one of many children-a short boy with rather undistinguished looks.
II. Question 1: Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B:
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Column A |
Column B |
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(i) broke out |
(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely |
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(ii) in accordance with |
(b) was not able to tolerate |
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(iii) a helping hand |
(c) began suddenly in a violent way |
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(iv) could not stomach |
(d) assistance |
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(v) generosity of spirit |
(e) persons with power to make decisions |
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(vi) figures of authority |
(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system |
Answer
|
Column A |
Column B |
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(i) broke out |
(c) began suddenly in a violent way. Eg. A fire broke out in my neighbourhood. |
|
(ii) in accordance with |
(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system. Eg. The soldiers said they acted in accordance with the situation. |
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(iii) a helping hand |
(d) assistance Eg. I’m always willing to give a helping hand to the needy people. |
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(iv) could not stomach |
(b) was not able to tolerate Eg. The new teacher could not stomach Hindu priest’s son sitting near a Muslim boy. |
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(v) generosity of spirit |
(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely. Eg. His generosity of spirit helped him to get respect from others. |
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(vi) figures of authority |
(e) persons with power to make decisions. Eg. A minor needs a figure of authority in his life. |
Question 2: Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed prefixing un-or in-to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).
- I was a short boy with rather undistinguished (un + distinguished)
- My austere father used to avoid all inessential (in + essential)
- The area was completely unaffected by the war. (un + affected)
- He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance)
Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing -un or -in. The prefix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (for example: illiterate- il+literate, impractical- im+practical, irratational -ir+rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.
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____adequate ____demanding ____patriotic ____logical ____acceptable ____active ____disputed ____legal ____regular ____true ____accessible ____responsible ____tolerant ____permanent ____coherent ____possible |
Answer
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adequate – inadequate demanding – undemanding patriotic – unpatriotic logical – illogical acceptable – unacceptable active – inactive disputed – undisputed legal – illegal regular – irregular true – untrue accessible – inaccessible responsible – irresponsible tolerant – intolerant permanent – impermanent coherent – incoherent possible – impossible |
III. Passive Voice
Study these sentences:
- My parents were regarded as an ideal couple.
- I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.
- Such problems have to be confronted.
The italicised verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted)
These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action is not included in the sentences.
If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase. For example:
- The tree was struck by lightning.
- The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest.
IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.
(i) In yesterday's competition, the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
(ii) In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
(iii) On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
(iv) Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
(v) Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
(vi) Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer
(i) In yesterday's competition, the prizes were given away by the Principal.
(ii) In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
(iii) On Republic Day, vehicles are not allowed beyond this point.
(iv) Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
(v) Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
(vi) Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
1. Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian Cricket Team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor's skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.
Oil From Seeds
2. Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Oliver oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.
Answer
How Helmets Came To be Used In Cricket
1. Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian Cricket Team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor got seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor's skull had fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers.
Oil From Seeds
2. Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.