English

Briefly comment on:The author’s physical condition in Darchen.

Advertisements
Advertisements

Question

Briefly comment on:
The author’s physical condition in Darchen.

Answer in Brief
Advertisements

Solution

Darchen was a derelict; dusty and refused. When the author and Tsetan reached the town it was dark already, they pulled up in a guest house. The night they settled in was troublesome for the author. The open-air rubbish dump that passed for the town of Hor had set off his cold once more . One of his nostrils blocked, he tried to accustom to breathing with one nostril. However it did not provide him with sufficient oxygen so he tried to breathe from mouth. Still he could not sleep, his chest felt heavy and the fear never let him sleep for the rest of the night. The next morning Tsetan took him to the Darchen's medical college. The doctor, after asking a few question, declared that the author had caught cold and the effects of altitude. The doctor prescribed the author various medicines, one of which tasted like cinnamon. That night after having the medicines the author had a sound sleep finally

shaalaa.com
Reading Skills
  Is there an error in this question or solution?
Chapter 6.1: Silk Road - Understanding the text [Page 82]

APPEARS IN

NCERT English Hornbill (Core) Class 11
Chapter 6.1 Silk Road
Understanding the text | Q 2.2 | Page 82

RELATED QUESTIONS

Read the passage given below : 

1. Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. However, he accomplished so much grandeur during his reign that his glory surpassed the boundaries of countries and time turning him into an immortal personality. He along with his kingdom became a synonym for valour, sacrifice and patriotism. Mewar had been a leading Rajput kingdom even before Maharana Pratap occupied the throne. Kings of Mewar, with the cooperation of their nobles and subjects, had established such traditions in the kingdom, as augmented their magnificence despite the hurdles of having a smaller area under their command and less population. There did come a few thorny occasions when the flag of the kingdom seemed sliding down. Their flag once again heaved high in the sky thanks to the gallantry and brilliance of the people of Mewar.
 
2. The destiny of Mewar was good in the sense that barring a few kings, most of the rulers were competent and patriotic. This glorious tradition of the kingdom almost continued for 1500 years since its establishment, right from the reign of Bappa Rawal. In fact, only 60 years before Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga drove the kingdom to the pinnacle of fame. His reputation went beyond Rajasthan and reached Delhi. Two generations before him. Rana Kumbha had given a new stature to the kingdom through victories and developmental work. During his reign, literature and art also progressed extraordinarily. Rana himself was inclined towards writing and his works are read with reverence even today The ambience of his kingdom was conducive to the creation of high-quality work of art and literature. These accomplishments were the outcome of a longstanding tradition sustained by several generations.
 
3. The life of the people of Mewar must have been peaceful and prosperous during the long span of time; otherwise, such extraordinary accomplishment in these fields would not have been possible. This is reflected in their art and literature as well as their loving nature. They compensate for the lack of admirable physique by their firm but pleasant nature. The ambience of Mewar remains lovely thanks to the cheerful and liberal character of its people.
 
4. One may observe astonishing pieces of workmanship not only in the forts and palaces of Mewar but also in public utility buildings. Ruins of many structures which are still standing tall in their grandeur are testimony to the fact that Mewar was not only the land of the brave but also a seat of art and culture. Amidst aggression and bloodshed, literature and art flourished and creative pursuits of literature and artists did not suffer. Imagine, how glorious the period must have been when the Vijaya Stambha which is the sample of our great ancient architecture even today, was constructed. In the same fort, Kirti Stambha is standing high, reflecting how liberal the then administration was which allowed people from other communities and kingdoms to come and carry out construction work. It is useless to indulge in the debate whether the Vijaya Stambha was constructed first or the Kirti Stambha. The fact is that both the capitals are standing side by side and reveal the proximity between the king and the subjects of Mewar.
 
5. The cycle of time does not remain the same Whereas the reign of Rana Sanga was crucial in raising the kingdom to the acme of glory, it also proved to be his nemesis. History took a turn. The fortune of Mewar – the land of the brave, started waning. Rana tried to save the day with his acumen which was running against the stream and the glorious traditions for some time.
 
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer each of the questions given below with the help of options that follow :
 
(a) Maharana Pratap became immortal because :
(i) he ruled Mewar for 25 years.
(ii) he added a lot of grandeur to Mewar.
(iii) of his valour, sacrifice and patriotism.
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)

(b) Difficulties in the way of Mewar were :
(i) lack of cooperation of the nobility.
(ii) ancient traditions of the kingdom.
(iii) its small area and small population.
(iv) the poverty of the subjects.
 
(c) During thorny occasions :
(i) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered.
(ii) the flag of Mewar was hoisted high.
(iii) the people of Mewar showed gallantry.
(iv) most of the rulers heaved a sigh of relief.

(d) Mewar was lucky because :
(i) all of its rulers were competent.
(ii) most of its people were competent.
(iii) most of its rulers were competent.
(iv) only a few of its people were incompetent.
 
Answer the following questions briefly:
(e) Who is the earliest king of Mewar mentioned in the passage?
(f) What was Rana Kumbha's contribution to the glory of Mewar?
(g) What does the writer find worth admiration in the people of Mewar?
(h) How could art and literature flourish in Mewar?
(i) How did the rulers show that they cared for their subjects?
(j) What does the erection of Vijaya Stambha and Kirti Stambha in the same fort signify?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) surprising (para 4)
(ii) evidence (para 4)

Answer any four of the following questions in 30 - 40 words each :
(a) What kind of gold did the people of Seemapuri look for in the garbage ? (Lost Spring)
(b) Why did Gandhi tell the court that he was involved in a 'conflict of duties' ?
(c) How do we get joy from life which is otherwise full of sorrows ? (A Thing of Beauty)
(d) For Aunt Jennifer, what do the tigers symbolise ?
(e) What made the chief astrologer place his finger on his nose ? (The Tiger King)
(f) On the seventh day after the American soldier was found by Dr. Sadao two things happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second ?


Read the follow ing extract and answer the questions given below:

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...

They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

(1) What makes a nation strong?
(2) According to you, what makes India a strong and powerful nation?.
(3) Write down the rhyme scheme used in the extract.
(4) What does the phrase 'others fly ... ' mean?


The black kite may start a fire because


Complete the call-outs:
A.1)

Our world is an institution
Of environmental pollution
We choose not to care
For our future generations
And I for one am guilty
For buying the hundreds of electronic gadgets
That attracts the industries to produce like maggots
environmental pollution is at the heart of our planet
The forests are dying
Wildlife is crying
Millions of fish are dying
Mother earth is sighing
Tell me is it right
That we sleep well at night
Replenishing ourselves
For tomorrow’s greedy fight
Overcrowded trains
Overloaded brains
Where is the light? What is our plight?
While the river break their banks
And greedy industries play their polluted pranks.

 

A.2) Find the examples that show that we do not care for our future generation

A.3) Match:
Match the lines in Column ‘A’ with the figures of speech in Column ‘B’: 

  Column ‘A’    Column ‘B’ 
(i) Our world is an institution  (a)  Personification 

(ii) Mother earth is sighing (b)  Simile
    (c) Metaphor

Guess the meaning of the following word:
Kora
In which language are these word found? 


The narrative has many phrases to describe the scenic beauty of the mountainside like: 
A flawless half-moon flated in a perfect blue sky.
Scan the text to locate other such picturesque phrases.


Read the text below and summarise it.

Green Sahara

The Great Desert Where Hippos Once Wallowed

The Sahara sets a standard for dry land. It’s the world’s largest desert. Relative humidity can drop into the low single digits. There are places where it rains only about once a century. There are people who reach the end of their lives without ever seeing water come from the sky.

Yet beneath the Sahara are vast aquifers of fresh water, enough liquid to fill a small sea. It is fossil water, a treasure laid down in prehistoric times, some of it possibly a million years old. Just 6,000 years ago, the Sahara was a much different place.

It was green. Prehistoric rock art in the Sahara shows something surprising: hippopotamuses, which need year-round water.

“We don’t have much evidence of a tropical paradise out there, but we had something perfectly liveable,” says Jennifer Smith, a geologist at Washington University in St Louis.

The green Sahara was the product of the migration of the paleo-monsoon. In the same way that ice ages come and go, so too do monsoons migrate north and south. The dynamics of earth’s motion are responsible. The tilt of the earth’s axis varies in a regular cycle — sometimes the planet is more tilted towards the sun, sometimes less so. The axis also wobbles like a spinning top. The date of the earth’s perihelion — its closest approach to the sun — varies in cycle as well.

At times when the Northern Hemisphere tilts sharply towards the sun and the planet makes its closest approach, the increased blast of sunlight during the north’s summer months can cause the African monsoon (which currently occurs between the Equator and roughly 17°N latitude) to shift to the north as it did 10,000 years ago, inundating North Africa.

Around 5,000 years ago the monsoon shifted dramatically southward again. The prehistoric inhabitants of the Sahara discovered that their relatively green surroundings were undergoing something worse than a drought (and perhaps they migrated towards the Nile Valley, where Egyptian culture began to flourish at around the same time).

“We’re learning, and only in recent years, that some climate changes in the past have been as rapid as anything underway today,” says Robert Giegengack, a University of Pennsylvania geologist.

As the land dried out and vegetation decreased, the soil lost its ability to hold water when it did rain. Fewer clouds formed from evaporation. When it rained, the water washed away and evaporated quickly. There was a kind of runaway drying effect. By 4,000 years ago the Sahara had become what it is today.

No one knows how human-driven climate change may alter the Sahara in the future. It’s something scientists can ponder while sipping bottled fossil water pumped from underground.

“It’s the best water in Egypt,” Giegengack said — clean, refreshing mineral water. If you want to drink something good, try the ancient buried treasure of the Sahara.

JOEL ACHENBACK
Staff Writer, Washington Post

Why do you think the poet has used so many 'negatives' to make his statement?


Explain the phrase.

his bending sickle's compass


What, according to the poet, are human beings out of tune with?


What do you understand of the three voices in response to the question 'What does a novel do' ?


Why is the poem entitled 'Hawk Roosting'?


Write words from the poem that describe the following.

  1. sky ____________
  2. heart ____________
  3. hand ____________
  4. beginning ____________
  5. surprises ____________

Answer in your own words.

How did the plants react to the fast rhythmic music?


Johnsy realised that her thinking was wrong.


Say WHY. . . . . .

Ramanujan had to be hospitalized.


Do as directed. (Make sure you do not change the meaning and tense of the sentence).

I am proud of you. (Rewrite using the noun form of the underlined word).


Find at least five other Akbar and Birbal stories and share them with your friends. Make a list of the stories collected by the entire class. Put your list in alphabetical order.


The consequences of Oberon’s jealousy for Titania are comic rather than tragic. Comment.


There were some reasons why Theseus was initially against but later gave consent for the marriage of Helena with Lysander. Explain.


Discuss and write 1-2 lines about the following,

Why Bushi told Yonamine not to travel at night.


What two basic rules were followed in the Science Fair?


Name the white and bright things mentioned in the poem.


List the various things that the Lethargarians do or want to do. Can you sum up all of it in one word or phrase?


If you were to draw a landscape on the basis of this poem, what elements will you show in it? What colours will you use?


Describe a crocodile in your own words.


Form groups of 5-8. This passage tells us only what the compère says. Try to visualize and write what the other people on the dais must have said in their speeches (Write only the main points.)

  • The School Principal
  • The Chief Guest
  • The Art teacher who offered a vote of thanks

Write the symbol that is used in the poem to represent the following idea.

Choice of two options.


Write in your own words.

How should that person sing? 


Read: ‘The Open Window’ by H. H. Munro (Saki).


Write in short how the travellers crossed the first ditch.


Where is Rangoli usually drawn?


Your parents sometimes behave like the young bird’s parents. They may seem cruel and unrelenting. Does it mean that they do not care for you? Explain your views about it with reference from the story


What are the three rules given by the bird?


Read the following lines from the poem and answer the question given below.

There's a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street

  1. Where does the family live?
  2. Why do you think the street is named as ‘Complaining Street’?

Identify the speaker/character.

‘ It’s Somu’s thoughtless ways that reduce me to tears’


Teach it in accents______ and______.

  1. soft
  2. vain
  3. fear
  4. joy
  5. love
  6. heard
  7. toiled
  8. mild
  9. good
  10. sand
  11. life
  12. harsh

How can we make our life worth living?


He always had lunch with his family.


What did Grandmother feel about trees growing in the house?


What does the peepul do?


How can you balance your academic goals and your passion for sports or arts?


Discuss in groups. Retell the story in your own words. Each one should say one sentence.

You can begin like this:

Gulliver was travelling in a ship. One stormy night, the ship was wrecked...


Complete the sentence given below with word/phrase.

The hole became ______ and ______.


How does the poet describe the Indian seasons? Write in your own words in about 50 words.


Read the events of the story. They are in the wrong order. Put them in the correct order.

1. And it charged straight at the cavalry officers on horseback.
2. And so she flew onto the back of the cow.
3. So everybody panicked and made a  general rush to safety
4. The startled cow charged off in fear
5. She applied brakes, but was thrown off the cycle.
6. Just then she saw a lone cow in the middle of the road.
7. Finally the cow fell into a ditch and dislodged the girl.
8. The girl cried out in delight as she overtook her brother on her cycle.

Which place was the last stand of the Indian army?


Write the rhyming word.

Tree - ______.


Divide the following word.

circle


Fill in the blank

He is rich ______ he looks simple.


_____ fights with everyone in school.


When do you feel proud?


Write the rhyming word.

save- ______


Nithin had many ______toys.


______ is a great risk to the environment.


What was Farhan's father's advice to his son?


If the fisher draws his net soon, he won’t get ______ in the net.


Who was Nokomis?


Pick out word which mean the same as

stop doing something (para 1) 


Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×