ENGLISH-1ST PAPER- PROSE(XII) CHAPTER-1

             Lesson -1

                                                         A Girl With A Basket                     - William c. Douglas

 Short answer types questions:

Q. 1) Where was going Douglas? From where did he start? And how did he travel?

Ans.) The writer was going from New Delhi to Bareilly by train and then by car to Ranikhet. He left new Delhi for the Himalayas.

Q .2) What did the writer do to know the feeling of the people of india?

Ans.) The writer talked to the people on world affairs and every major topics and the news of that day. It was the routine of the writer.

Q .3) What did the writer do at every stoppage and why?OR

          What did the writer do to get a feel of the pulse of the nation?

Ans.) At every stoppage the writer get down from the train and talked to English knowing people. In this way he was trying to get a feel of the pulse of the nation.

Q .4) Describe the scenes and things, the writer saw on his way from new Delhi to Ranikhet?

Ans.)The writer saw the fields, Ganga river, forests, the home of the tigers, cobras, banyan trees, monkey, villages and the pumpkin vine over the walls.

Q .5) Describe the route through which the writer’s train passed?

Ans.) The writer’s train passed form near the Ganga river, forest, Banyan trees and the home of tigers, elephants, pythons.

Q .6) Who were the children selling baskets?

Ans.) The children selling baskets were the sons and daughters of the refugees.

Q .7) Why are the children described as refugees?

Ans.) After partition between India and Pakistan many people came to India. They were homeless and jobless in the country. Their parents were very poor. They wanted to take shelter. So they were described as refugees.

Q .8) What disturbed the continuity of the writer’s conversation at one of the stations?

Ans.) At one station a group of small children selling baskets gathered around the writer. This group disturbed the conversation with the people.

Q .9) Why did the children descend like locusts on the writer?

Ans.) The refugees children were very poor. In starting they were selling baskets and fans for their living. They saw that the writer was an American and a rich person, he may buy their baskets in high price. So they descended on him like locusts.

Q .10) What was the condition of refugees? What were they doing for a living?

Ans.) The conditions of the refugees were very miserable. They were very poor. They were homeless and workless. They sold baskets and fans for their living.

Q .11) Why did the refugees leave their houses in Pakistan?

Ans.) The refugees left their houses in Pakistan due to the fear of religious madness.

Q .12) What forced the writer to buy the little girls basket?

Ans.) When the writer saw the poverty, girls small age, self-pride, touching voice, tearful eyes and graceful return of money he was forced to buy the basket.

Q .13) What was the reason by which the author had fallen in love with India?

Ans.) The writer found that the Indian are very honest and hard working. They are full of self respect and decency. The pride and graciousness of the little girl was one reason by which he had fallen in love with India.

Q .14) Which vendor among the children drew the writer’s attention most and why?

Ans.) A small girl of nine years drew the writer’s attention most. She requested the writer to buy her basket in a touching voice. There were tears in her eyes. Her tears and voice impressed him most.

Long answer types question:

Q .1) How had the girl with a basket given the author a glimpse of the warm soul of India? OR

Why had William C. Douglas fallen in love with India? OR

 What is the opinion of William c. Douglas about the people of India? What picture does he draw about that girl?

Ans.) The writer William c. Douglas came to India in 1950. He was going to Bareilly by train and then by car to Ranikhet. His object was to see the Himalayas.

            On his way he got down at the station when the train stopped. He talked to the people there. At one station as he came at the platform, a group of young children gathered around him. They were refugee’s children. They were selling baskets and fans for their living.

They wanted to sell their baskets to the writer. Seeing their poor condition the writer bought some baskets from them. Just then he saw a small girl among those children. She was looking very hard working and active vendor. Her voice was very touching and there were tears in her eyes. She requested the writer to buy the baskets.

As the writer had already bought some basket, now he did not want to take any one. But he wanted to help the girl. He put some money into her basket as a gift. At this the girl became unhappy with him. Her self respect was hurt. She was an honest hawker not a beggar. She returned the money with full grace and pride.

            Seeing such behavior of the girl, he was much impressed and bought her basket soon. After this he told the story to P.T. Nehru.

             Thus the writer was deeply impresses by the self pride and honest nature of the little girl. He though that the girl was a symbol of Indian culture. So he began to love India and Indians.

Explanation

1. The children selling…………………………………………………………… already overcrowded.

Reference- These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl with a Basket’ written by ‘W.C. Douglas’

 Context: Here the writer says that Indian is a very loving country. had come to India for visit. It is own way, He described India and some refugees children. Who surrounding the writers. And at last he told all the stories to P.T Nehru.

Explanation- In these lines the writer says that the children selling basket were the sons and daughter of these refugees. These people were very poor. So they gathered in the cities for learning some money. they put the wooden stalls on both sides of roads. They made simple articles and sold them in the market. There were already many shops. Yet they earned some money for their living by selling their articles cheaper.

2. The people………………………………………………………………………..Warm soul of India.

Reference-context: previous

Explanation- In these lines the writer sums up his views about Indians. The writer noted that Indians had a high

sense of self-respect, dignity and citizenship. They were sincere, honest and hardworking. He found these

qualities in the people of rural as well as urban areas. The Indians were very anxious for their independence

also. Even the poor people were honest. They earned money only by working hard. The little girl was the

symbol of all these thing

                                                                        Comprehension

1. The platform……………………………………………………………………………attitude and reports.

Q.1 In what way were the people on the platforms dressed?

Ans. The people on the platforms were dressed in loose white garments.

Q.2 How could the writer find a person who spoke English?

Ans. The writer talked with people and thus he could fine one person out of three who spoke English.

Q.3 What did he talk to the people about?

Ans. The writer talked with the people on world affairs and other major topic of the day.

Q.4 What was the his purpose in talking to the people?

Ans. The writer’s purpose in talking to the people was to know the feeling of the people of India and their opinions about the officers.

2. This child of nine………………………………………………………………………… soul of India.

Q.1Which story did the author narrate to Pt. Nehru?

Ans. The author narrated to Pt. Nehru the story of the nine year old who handed the memory back to the author.

Q.2 Which was the reason that made the author fall in love with India?

Ans. The grace and pride, exhibited by the little child made the author fall in love with India.

Q.3 What do you understand by passion for independence?

Ans. ‘Passion for independence’ means, the people of India have an urge to become free from the yoke of foreign rule.

Q.4 What virtues did the author discover in the Indian people?

Ans. The author discovered that the Indian people have pride and a live sense of decency and citizenship. They also and have a passion for independence.

Q.5 How do you know that the people in the country held self-respect in high esteem?

Ans. The conduct of the little girl, as seen by the writer. Tells that people in this country held self-respect in high esteem.

Q.6 How has the child been described in the passage?

Ans. The child has been described as an embodiment of the warm soul of India, though she was born in unpleasant, dirty and poor conditions.

Q.7 What is the impression of the writer about India?

Ans. The impression of the writer about Indian is that its people however both pride and a sense of decency and citizenship, and also a passion for independence.                                                                                       

Fill in the blanks

 1. The children were selling basket.

2. The attitude of the girl was a very aggressive.

3. At one station my routine of talking with the people was disturbed.

4. The Indians have a strong passion for freedom.

5. The platform were packed with the people.

6. when the train stopped at the station I alighted at the platform to talk  to the people.