Shopping

While Najma and Ajmal were having their breakfast. Mother asked them to be ready to go with her for shopping. Children were surprised to hear this, because they had never been to the market before. The Mother explained them that in the past all the

purchases were made by their father. Now he was away from home and they had run short of groceries and other provisions. So she wants to make all purchases.They went to market in a taxi. They first visited muttonmarket. The mother explained the difference between beef and mutton. She told them that beef was the flesh of cows and calves while mutton was the flesh of goats and sheep. She bought one kilo of leg and one kilo of minced meat there. After it they went to fruit and vegetable market and bought a kilo of tomatoes, five kilos of onions, two kilos of potatoes, one kilo each of cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, green peas and two kilos of spinach and five kilos of carrots. After buying vegetables they bought bananas and apples. After it came the turn of spices and groceries. They bought one kilo of salt, a quarter of red chillies, a quarter of black pepper and other spices. They bought two carrots of soap flakes, three bars ofwashing soap, four cakes of toilet soap, a kilo bag of porridge, a jar of honey, one bottle each of tomato sauce and vinegar and two packets of biscuits. At the end they bought one kilo of dressed chicken and two dozens of eggs and returned home. Children enjoyed the shopping very much.

Question and Answers

Q.1 Why did mother ask Najma and Ajmal to go with her for shopping?
Ans. Mother asked Najma and Ajmal to go with her for shopping because their father was on tour and they also have run out of groceries and provisions.

Q.2 How much fare did the taxi driver demand?
Ans. The taxi driver demanded twenty rupees for the market.

Q.3 What did mother tell the taxi-driver?
Ans. The mother told the taxi driver that I would pay you fifteen rupees or you drive us to the traffic sentry there.

Q.4 Where did mother and children go first for shopping?
Ans. Mother and children went to the mutton market first.

Q.5 What is the difference between beef and mutton?
Ans. Beef and mutton both are meat. The beef is the meat of cows, calves and buffaloes. While mutton is the meat of goats and sheep.

Q.6 What did mother buy at the butcher’s shop?
Ans. Mother bought one kilo of leg and one kilo minced meat at the butchers shop.

Q.7 Where did mother go after making purchases at the butcher?
Ans. After making purchases at the butcher’s mother headed towards the vegetables and fruit market.

Q.8 How did the mother buy bananas and apples?
Ans. Mother bought ten bananas at a rate of fifteen rupees and one kg apples at a cost of twenty rupees.

Q.9 What did mother buy last of all?
Ans. After making all purchases mother went to a poultry shop. She bought eggs and one kilo of dressed chicken at a rate of twenty and ninety rupees respectively.

Q.10 How far is the market from the house of Najma and Ajmal?
Ans. The market was not so far from the house of Najma and Ajmal. It was about a distance of one thousands metres.

Q.11 What did mother ask the children to do when they reached back home?
Ans. Mother told Ajmal to polish your own and Najma’s shoes and told Najma to iron the clothes.

Q.12 When do we use Metre, Kilometre, Kilo and Litre?
Ans. These are all measuring units of different quantities. Metre is used for measuring Length, Kilometre for distance, Kilo for weights and Litre to measure liquids except with those of high viscosity.

Q.13 Give the reason why polythene bags are not being used all over the world? or What is / are the harmful effects of polythene bags?
Ans. Polythene bags are not being used all over the world because they are major source of water pollution. They lock the severage pipes and when the drains are chocked, the dirty water spills all over. There is no suitable way of disposing these bags.

Q.14 Why were Najma and Ajmal excited?
Ans. Najma and Ajmal were excited because the first time they were going for shopping. The idea of learning new and interesting things was making them excited

Speak Gently

Poet advises us to use kind words. He thinks that obedience secured by love is better than that which is result of fear. He further says that one should win hearts of others by sweet and kind words. King words cost nothing but lead to good results. We should treat little ones kindly. Again we should treat senior citizens kindly because they may leave us soon. Kind, words though they seem insignificant have a great effect on the heart of others. The reward of this will be gained during the life after death in the next world.

Question and Answers

Q.1 What is the message of the poem “Speak Gently”?
Ans. The message of the poem is that “we should speak gently to everyone because we can win the heart of the people by speaking gently and politely”.

Q.2 What is the result of adopting harsh attitude?
Ans. To speak harshly is a kind of ethical and social sin which can devastate our good deeds we should produce mildness in our character. This is the only way through which we can provide security to our good deeds which we have done in this mortal world.

Q.3 Why should we speak gently to the aged one?
Ans. We should speak gently to the aged one because their days are numbered. We should take care of them a lot.

Q.4 Why should we speak gently to the little children?
Ans. We should speak gently to the little children because they are like the blooming flowers. We can win their hearts by speaking in soft and mild accent.

A Village Fair

Bilal lived in a city and during the summer vacation he decided to go some where, because he got tired of the city life. He decided to pay a visit to his cousin Zubair in the village. It was just by the chance that when Bilal reached the village annual fair was being held in the village. The village was decorated with buntings and colourful flags. He found many shops there, where many people were making shopping. There were so many events there, every one was enjoying the event according to his taste and age.Children were gathered around merry – go – rounds and swings. There was a drum competition also. They also saw a dog and bear fight. They saw a monkey show. A clever monkey was copying an angryhusband it also played many other tricks to amuse the people.

The conjurers, jugglers and rope dancers showed their interesting tricks and people were delighted to see such tricks. Bilal then saw horse races, dog races, tent pegging and such other sports.

There were many other things to see but both friends felt tired and turned home ward.

Question and Answers

Q.1 Why was the village decorated?
Ans. The village was beautifully decorated with colourful buntings and flags because the annual fair was on full swing.

Q.2 Why was it the best time to visit the village?
Ans. It was the best time to visit the village because the villagers were celebrating annual fair which is held only once in year. Bilal luckily experienced the amazing sights of this fair.

Q.3 How did the juggler entertain the people?
Ans. The juggler entertained the people by juggling with seven balls at a time without dropping any of them. It was a great game of practice and skill.

Q.4 How did the conjurer perform his tricks?
Ans. Conjurer took Bilal’s handkerchief and tore it into pieces. When he returned to him Bilal was astonished to see it undamaged.

Q.5 What is tent-pegging?
Ans. Tent -Pegging is another popular sport. Wooden pegs are fixed in the ground. The riders had to pull them out with the help of lances as they rode.

Q.6 What made the dogs run in the dog race?
Ans. Dog race is a kind of fascinating entertainment for the villagers in which the skill of hound dongs is examined. In the fair, a rabbit was brought in the field and was let loose inform of the dogs, which made the dogs run.

Q.7 What was the special announcement?
Ans. Horse race was the special announcement. It attracted the attentions of the people a lot that’s why the people rushed to get a place in front.

Q.8 What kinds of shops had been setup for the fair?
Ans. Mostly the temporary shops had been set up for the fair. All kinds of goods from handkerchiefs to farming tools were available in these shops.

Q.9 What was the use of these shops for the villagers?
Ans. These shops are very useful for the villagers because they do their shopping to these shops. It is a good time for the sellers to avail business opportunity.

Q.10 What were the different entertainments in the fair for the children?
Ans. There were different entertainments for the children in the fair. These entertainments include swings, the monkey man show and the show performed by the circus people. Children enjoyed it a lot.

Beautiful Hands

Poetess praises the hands of the mother for their spiritual beauty. She says that although these hands are neither good looking nor small and one can think that they were beautiful ones. She has seen these hands they were the imagination of an artists. For her they are still attractive. Further she says for the pleasure of children these hands worked very hard instead of sorrows and worries. Poetess is sad for these hands because they are growing weak with the pace of time. The marks of pain and old age are on fore head, heart and hand. She feels that her death is fast approaching and one day these hands would be buried under the daisies. But she is hopeful that beyond this world of sorrows and sins lies beautifuland eternal world and her mother’s hands would be victorious there and after death she would get anopportunity of holding her mothers hands.

Question and Answers

Q.1 What words or phrases tell us that they are not pretty in the physical sense?
Ans. The words “ages and wrinkled” tell us that the hands are not beautiful in their physical appearance. It means that these hands are old and full of wrinkles. They are neither fair not small but rough and big.

Q.2 Why does the poetess praise the hands in the second stanza?
Ans. The poetess praises the hands in the second stanza because these hands carelessly worked hard inspite of exhaustion and utter fatigue in order to provide happiness of her children. The poetess is showing repentance because when she was young, she could’ve helped her mother in doing chars of daily life but she did not.

Q.3 In the third stanza, what does “These hands must folded be” mean?
Ans. The words, “These hands must folded be” mean that the death time of the poetess mother was near to come. The poetess is showing her grief because soon her mother would be under the layers of wild flowers in a folding manner.

Q.4 Who does the poetess praise in this poem?
Ans. In this poem, the poetess pays a high tribute to her mother’s hands for their spiritual beauty. She further defined these hands that they worked restlessly in spite of facing tribulations of life, so that her family might enjoys a happy life.

Q.5 Why does the poetess praise her mother’s hand in this poem?
Ans. The poetess praises her mother’s hand in this poem because these hands worked very hard to bring her up .These hands rested not  in order to provide comfort and happiness to her.

A Nation’s Strength

In this poem the poet tells about the secret of a nation’s greatness. He says that greatness of nation does not depend upon heaps of wealth or gold. He says that real strength of a nation lives in the men of character. These men up hold the cause of honour and truth, they remain united and face hardships for longperiod of time. Such men are brave, truthful, stead fast, self respecting and hard working. They do not care about their personal loss. They sacrifice their personal interest in the larger interest of their nation. They work while others enjoy a sound sleep. They bear every trial with courage. They dare and remain stead fast while others run away. They lay the foundation of a nation very deep. Then they take nation to the highest point of glory.

Q. Who wrote the poem “A Nation’s Strength”
A. The poem “A Nation’s Strength” has been written by “Ralph Waldo Emerson”.

Q. What do you know about the poet?
A. The poet was an American poet, essayist and philosopher. He believed that one should take the fullest advantage of the situation.

Q. What kind of people can lift the nation to the sky?
A. The poet believes that brave, courageous, sincere and honest persons can lift the nation to the sky.

Dignity of Work

One day Akhtar came late from the school and he was in angry mood. When mother inquired of him, he did not answer. At the lunch time his uncle Mr. Inayat came to visit them. At the enquiry of his uncle he explained that, social work week was being observed in his school and his teacher asked him to do inferior work. Mr. Inayat asked him whether their teacher did any work. He told him that his class teacher swept the class room and Head Master cleaned the bath room. Mr. Inayat told him that when his teacher had not felt insulted by doing inferior work, he should not have any cause for grumbling. Then he gave the example of the Holy Prophet (peace by upon him) who felt pride in doing work with his own blessed hands. He further told him that his companion were also like him. Hazrat Abu Bakar worked for widows and old neighbour. Hazrat Omar and Hazrat Ali did labour work. Hazrat Fatima did house hold work with own hands. Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz refused to hire a servant to help his wife.

Sultan Nasir-uddin earned his living by making caps and Emperor Aurangzeb by transcribing Holy Quran.

Their uncle also told them that in China and America people do not feel shame in doing inferior work. Even high officials do so.

After hearing such things Akhtar also realized his mistake and promised that he would not feel shame in doing work with own hands.

Question and Answers

Q.1 Why did Akhter not answer his mother?
Ans. Akhter did not answer his mother because he was came late from school and feeling cross and angry.

Q.2 What did Mr. Inayat tell the children?
Ans. Mr. Inayat usually used to tell interesting stories of different parts of the world. But on that particular day, he told the children about the importance of dignity of work.

Q.3 What reason did Akhter give his uncle for being cross?
Ans. Akhter told his uncle that he was made work like servant in the school.

Q.4 What did the teacher do himself?
Ans. The teacher swept the room and emptied the dustbin while the head master cleaned the bathroom.

Q.5 What did the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) love?
Ans. Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) loved doing work for himself and for others with his own hands. He used to mend His shoes, washes clothes and swept the room. He proudly joined his companions in digging ditch during the  Battle of Khandaq

Q.6 Were the companions of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) like Him?
Ans. Yes, the companions of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) like him. They were the complete sketch of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) personality and loved doing work with their hands.

Q.7 What did Hazrat Abu Bakr do?
Ans. Hazrat Abu Bakr was the founder of Caliphatehood. Hazrat Abu Bakr not only did his own work but also fetched water for widows and neighbours who was very old and had no one to work for them.

 Q.8 What did Hazrat Fatima do?
Ans. Hazrat Fatima was the dearest daughter of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H). She fetched water, ground corn and swept the house.

Q.9 How did Sultan Nasir uddin earned his living?
Ans. Sultan Nasir-uddin was a very pious Emperor of Muslims. He earned his living by making caps.

Q.10 What does everyone do in China?
Ans. People at China believe that all ought to work. Everyone has to spend sometime each year working in the fields or in a factory. Even the Prime Minister and his wife do so.  They believed that all out of work and, no wonder, they are making such quick progress.

From a Railway Carriage

In this poem poet shares his experience of his first railway journey. He has been amazed by the speed of the train. He says that speed of train is faster then the speed of fairies and witches. It runs so fast that the bridges, houses, rows of thorny plants and ditches pass by in a moment.

It goes forward as quickly as army soldiers attack the enemy in the battle field. The train runs through common grassy lands where horses and cattle are grazing. All the sights pass as quickly as drop of train follows another drop. Many colourful buildings of stations appear and disappear in a glance due to the speed of train.

Poet sees a child climbing up steepy ground. He moves with difficulty and gathers black barries. He also sees a homeless person looking at the train with amazement. He sees some ladies making garlands of daisies in a common grassy village land. In the middle of road there was cart with load. Due to heavy load it was moving awkwardly. The cart man was sitting on the load. He also sees a river and a floor mill. All these scenes appeared and disappeared in a very short moment.

Question and Answers

Q.1 What does the poet see from a railway carriage?
Ans. He sees the beauty of the area. He also sees bridges, houses, ditches, meadows, horses, hills and  a boy who is collecting services hardly and a homeless person who is doing nothing but to stare the train and a man who is lifting the overloaded cart.

Q.2 What pleasures does the railway journey give to the poet?
Ans. The railway journey gives an immeasurable pleasure to the poet. Natural beauty provides him an everlasting joy which includes the sights of meadows, daisies, mill, river, hill plain etc. He is pleased because a thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Q.3 who is tramp and what was he doing?

Ans. A person who goes from one place to another place without any aim.  He was gathering brambles and watching the train passed by.