My Childhood Chapter 6 English NCERT Solution ||Beehive|| Class 9
Thinking about the Text (Page 74)
Find Dhanuskodi and Rameswaram on the map. What language(s) do you think are spoken there? What languages do you think the author, his family, his friends and his teachers spoke with one another?
Answer : People Speak Tamil Here
(ii) His mother: Kind-hearted and nurturing.
(iii) Himself: Short, with undistinguished looks, born into a middle-class Tamil family
2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
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) Abdul Kalam mentions two major social groups in Rameswaram: orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. These groups were easily identifiable by their attire; for example, Kalam wore a cap, marking him as a Muslim, while his friend Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread, marking him as a Hindu.
(ii) Despite their differences, these groups naturally shared friendships and experiences. Kalam’s friends included Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan, who were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. They shared bedtime stories from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet, and participated together in local festivals.
(iii) People who were aware of the differences included the new teacher who segregated Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry, and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife, who initially refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen. Those who tried to bridge these differences were Lakshmana Sastry, who reprimanded the new teacher, and Sivasubramania Iyer, who invited Kalam to dine in his home despite his wife’s objections.
(iv) Two incidents that show how differences can be created and resolved:
Creation of Differences: The new teacher at Kalam’s school separated him from his friend Ramanadha Sastry because of their religious differences. Resolution: Lakshmana Sastry, Ramanadha’s father, confronted the teacher and insisted that the boys sit together, emphasizing equality
Creation of Differences: Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife was initially reluctant to serve Kalam in her kitchen due to his Muslim background. Resolution: Sivasubramania Iyer himself served Kalam and later convinced his wife to overcome her prejudices.
People can change their attitudes by recognizing the common humanity in others, fostering mutual respect, and challenging discriminatory practices through personal actions and dialogue.
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 wanted to leave Rameswaram to pursue further studies at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
(ii) His father supported his decision, saying that he knew Kalam had to go away to “grow” and follow his dreams. He compared Kalam to a seagull that flies across the sun alone, without a nest.
(iii) His father’s words mean that children must eventually leave their parents to pursue their own paths and dreams. He spoke these words to comfort Kalam’s mother, who was hesitant to let him go, and to reassure himself about the necessity of Kalam’s departure.
Thinking about the Language (Page 75)
I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:
: erupt surge trace undistinguished casualty:
Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used. Now answer the following questions.
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?
Answer :
Erupt:
- Definition: To burst forth suddenly and violently.
- Examples:
- Volcano: “The volcano erupted, spewing lava and ash.”
- Anger: “His anger erupted after hearing the news.”
- Rash: “A rash erupted on her skin.”
Surge:
- Definition: To rise or move forward with force.
- Examples:
- Waves: “The waves surged against the shore.”
- Crowd: “A surge of people entered the stadium.”
- Emotions: “A surge of excitement filled the room.”
(i) Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
(ii) Make a mark or lines on a surface
(iii) To go back over again
(iv) Pursue or chase relentlessly
(v) Find or discover through investigation
(vi) Make one's course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along
(vii) Read with difficulty
The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is ‘to find or discover through investigation’.
A | B | ||
(i) | broke out | (a) | an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely |
(ii) | in accordance with | (b) | was not able to tolerate |
(iii) | a helping hand | (c) | began suddenly in a violent way |
(iv) | could not stomach | (d) | assistance |
(v) | generosity of spirit | (e) | persons with power to make decisions |
(vi) | figures of authority | (f) | according to a particular rule, principle, or system |
_____adequate | _____acceptable | _____regular | _____tolerant |
_____demanding | _____active | _____true | _____permanent |
_____patriotic | _____disputed | _____accessible | _____coherent |
_____logical | _____legal | _____responsible | _____possible |
Inadequate | Unacceptable | Irregular | Intolerant |
Undemanding | Inactive | Untrue | Impermanent |
Unpatriotic | Undisputed | Inaccessible | Incoherent |
Illogical | Illegal | Irresponsible | Impossible |
IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form