Class 10 English
Unit 3 Inclusion (Reading A)
The Girl Who Asked Why
Q.Pre-reading-
(i) Why do the children in the picture call themselves special?
Ans. The children in the picture call themselves special because they need special attention and special necessities.
(ii) What is special about them?
Ans. The speciality about them is that they are different from others in physical and mental existence.
(iii) What makes you different from them?
Ans. I don’t require special attention. This makes me different from them.
Comprehension-
Q.I. Tick (✓) the correct option:
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1. The girl did not agree to her mother’s view that girls should:
(a) learn to cook
(b) do household chores
(c) marry at a certain age. (✓)
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2. The parents believed that the girl should marry
(a) at certain age (✓)
(b) take care of her husband
(c) cook and do household work.
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3. When the king allowed her to join the panel, the audience
(a) felt happy and cheered the king.
(b) was not sure of her worthiness. (✓)
(c) left the venue in protest.
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Q.II. The following are the comments made by the people about the girl. Put a tick (P) on the comments that you think are correct and cross (X) the wrong ones.
(a) She was wearing provoking clothes.
(b) She was sinning against God.
(c) She was of good reputation.
(d) She was very good looking.
(e) She was talented.
(f) She was very confident.
(g) She was not fit to be in a company of scholars.
(h) She could marry a rich person.
(i) She would feel uncomfortable in the company
of men.
Ans.(a) (x), (b) (x). (c)(✓), (d) (✓), (e) (✓) (f) (✓) (g) (x) (h) (✓) (i) (x)
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Q.III. (A) Complete the grid with suitable information from the story. You may choose the words given in the box. One has been done.
| The actual words spoken | Who said | What do these words show about the character of the speaker? | |
| a. | “A woman can’t sit on the scholar panel unless. accompanied by a man.” | The king | He is prejudiced |
| b. | “Pardon me, Your Grace! But I was invited to join the discussion. | The girl | Confidence |
| c. | “But I don’t think a woman can join the discussion.” | The Woman in the audience | Weakness of women |
| d. | “So, by joining the discussion, what do you want to prove? That, women are better than men ?” | The Elderly Scholar | Proudness |
| e. | May I ask who wrote those hymns?” | The girl | intelligent |
| f. | “…Why is a female intellect weaker than a male?” | The King | Curiosity |
| g. | “I need to study, Your Grace, to come up with an example.” | Elderly Scholar | Nervousness |
| h. | “You ask too many questions, girl!” | Elderly Scholar | Fearness |
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(B) Which of the above utterances (actual words spoken) do you support and why?
Ans. “Pardon me, your Grace! But I was invited to join the discussion. The girl spoke these words actually. We support the words because it showed confidence in her to face the audience and speak.
Q.III . Answer the following questions:
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Q. 1. Why did the academy send the girl to the conference?
Ans. She was the brightest and most intelligent scholar in the academy, that is why the academy sent her to the conference.
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Q. 2. Why did the king invite scholars and philosophers from all over the world?
Ans. The king invited all the scholars and philosophers from all over the world because he wanted to compile all the knowledge from the entire universe in one book.
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Q.3. How did the girl justify her presence in the auditorium ?
Ans. The girl was confident and answered all the questions asked by different scholars. That is how the girl justified her presence in the auditorium.
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Q. 4. What made the king support the girl in the end ?
Ans. The king asked the scholars to present a convincing example that the girl is weaker than man in intelligence The men failed and the king allowed her to sit on the panel.
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Q. 5. “Women have weaker intellect” say the hymns. Do you agree/ disagree with this view ? Give reasons (s).
Ans. “Women have weaker intellect”, this is disagreeable because women carry a power to change weakness into strength. They are more responsible and punctual than men. They can cook as well as teach. Women are good at everything.
VOCABULARY-
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Q.1. Tick (✓) the correct meaning of the underlined word in each of the following sentences:
1. She surpassed her father in knowledge:
(a) defeated (✓)
(b) bypassed
(c) equaled.
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2. The king wanted to compile all the knowledge:
(a) save
(b) gather (✓)
(c) share.
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3. She noticed a large number of men, but hardly any women among the delegates:
(a) guests
(b) audience
(c) representatives (✓)
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4. The king gave a little chuckle:
(a) nod
(b) cry
(c) laugh (✓)
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5. They were sure that the girl will be humiliated by scholars:
(a) ignored
(b) praised
(c) insulted. (✓)
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6. If the scholars have objections, they can debate with her:
(a) argue (✓)
(b) tight
(c) talk.
Ans. 1. defeated, 2. gather, 3. representatives, 4. laugh, 5. insulted, 6. Argue
Grammar-
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Q.1. Read the following text and pick out finite and non-finite verbs.
Girls were taught to cook, to take care of the family, and then married off. Studying was off-limits to girls.
In those times, there lived a girl. She was a little different. She always had lots of questions in her mind.
When she was little, her mother wanted her to learn cooking. The girl asked her mother, “Why should I learn to cook ?”
Mother said, “So that you can feed yourself when required.”
The girl said “Fair enough”, and learned to cook.
After some time, the mother wanted to teach her household work.
Ans. Finite Verbs
1- Were married
2- Lived, was, had
3- was
4- asked
5- feed, required
Non- Finite Verbs
1- to cook, to take, studying
3 – to learn, cooking
4- to cook
6- to cook
7- to teach
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Q.2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of verbs given in brackets. The Fox and the Goat
Once a fox was roaming around in the dark. Unfortunately, he fell into a well. He tried his level best……..(1) (get) out but all in vain. So, he had no other alternative but……. (2) (remain) there till the next morning. The next day, a goat came that way. She …………..(3) (peep) into the well and saw the fox there. The goat …… (4) (ask). “What are you doing there, Mr. Fox?”
The sly fox replied, “I came here ………… (5) (drink) water.” It is the best I have ever tasted. Come and see for yourself. Without thinking even for a while, the goat ……………. (6) (jump) into the well………. (7) (quench) her thirst. Then she looked for a way to get out. But just like the fox, she also ………………….. (8) (find) herself helpless ……………(9) (come) out.
Then the fox said, “I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs. I’ll climb your head and get out. Then I shall help you come out too.” The goat was innocent enough……………(10) (understand) the shrewdness of the fox and did as the fox said and …………… (11) (help) him get out of the well. While walking away, the fox said, “Had you been intelligent enough, you would never have got in without seeing how ………………………… (12) (get) out.”
Ans. 1, to get, 2. to remain, 3. peeped, 4. asked, 5. to drink, 6. jumped, 7. to quench, 8. found, 9. to come, 10. to understand, 11. helped, 12. to get.
Speaking-
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i. Work in groups and describe the above picture in a few sentences. You may use the hints given below.
swing, seesaw, girl, boy, parallel bars, single bar, crutches, dark glasses.go up and down, push, enjoy, swing.
Ans. There is a park nearby my house. I go there to play in the evening. There is one swing, one see – saw, one parallel bars, one single bar, crutches etc. One day I saw that seven boys and girls were playing in the park, one girl was doing exercise in single bar, one girl was swinging on the swing, one boy was watching all these activities sitting on his wheel chair. One boy and one girl were swinging on the see- saw. They were going up and down. One boy was pushing up and down on the parallel bar. All the boys were enjoying their different exercises in the park.
ii. Give a name to each child and say what things he/she in thepicture would find difficult to
do. For example : Phatik (the boy in wheelchair), would find it difficult to climb a tree.
Ans. Rohan (the boy in wheel chair) would find it difficult to climb a tree as he was a disabled boy. Rahul and Muskan were swinging on the see saw. Rohan, the disabled boy was just watching all them playing in the park. Neeraj was doing exercise on the parallel bars. Parul was doing exercise on the single exercise bar.