Question 1

Collect information about tea, e.g. its evolution as a drink, its beneficial qualities. You can consult an encyclopedia or visit Internet websites. Then form groups of five and play the following roles: Imagine a meeting of a tea planter, a sales agent, a tea lover (consumer), a physician and a tea-shop owner. Each person in the group has to put forward his/her views about tea. You may use the following words and phrases.

- I feel ...
- It is important to know ...
- I disagree with you ...
- I think that tea ...
- I would like you to know ...
- I agree with ...
- It is my feeling ...
- I suggest ...
- May I know why you ...
- I am afraid ...

Accepted Answer

This is a role-play activity designed to encourage discussion and exchange of views about tea. Each participant should prepare their points based on their role:

- Tea planter: Discuss the cultivation, challenges, and importance of tea farming.
- Sales agent: Highlight marketing strategies, sales figures, and consumer preferences.
- Tea lover (consumer): Share personal preferences, health benefits experienced, and social aspects of tea drinking.
- Physician: Explain the medicinal properties, health benefits, and any cautions related to tea consumption.
- Tea-shop owner: Talk about customer preferences, popular tea varieties, and business aspects.

Participants should use the suggested phrases to express agreement, disagreement, suggestions, and questions to make the discussion interactive and meaningful. — The activity aims to develop speaking and listening skills, critical thinking, and knowledge about tea. By adopting different roles, students learn to view a topic from multiple perspectives and practice polite conversation using the given phrases.

Question 2

You are the sales executive of a famous tea company and you have been asked to draft an advertisement for the product. Draft the advertisement using the information you collected for the role play. You can draw pictures or add photographs and make your advertisement colourful.

Accepted Answer

Draft an advertisement highlighting the unique qualities of the tea brand, such as its rich aroma, health benefits, and origin. Include catchy slogans, attractive visuals, and persuasive language to appeal to consumers. For example:

"Experience the Magic of Nature in Every Sip! Our premium Assam Tea brings you freshness, health, and happiness. Brew a cup, relax, and rejuvenate. Available at all leading stores."

Add colorful pictures of tea gardens, steaming cups of tea, and happy customers to make the advertisement visually appealing. — This task develops creative writing and marketing skills. It encourages students to synthesize information gathered during the role play and present it in an engaging format suitable for advertising.

Question 3

(i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.
(ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “... sun bury its feet in shadow...”? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

Accepted Answer

(i) The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest as per the first stanza are:
- No bird could sit.
- No insect could hide.
- No sun could bury its feet in shadow.

(ii) The phrase “sun bury its feet in shadow” creates the image of sunlight being blocked or shaded by the trees, as if the sun has feet that are hidden or covered by the shadows cast by the trees. The poet uses this metaphor to describe how the presence of trees creates shade, preventing direct sunlight from reaching the ground. — The first stanza describes a forest empty of trees, emphasizing the absence of life and shade. The metaphor of the sun’s ‘feet’ personifies the sun, making the imagery vivid and helping readers visualize the effect of trees on sunlight.

Question 4

(i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?
(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

Accepted Answer

(i) In the poem, the trees are inside the house, specifically on the veranda floor. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves strain toward the glass, and the small twigs are stiff with exertion.

(ii) The poet compares the branches (boughs) to newly discharged patients who are half-dazed and moving to the clinic doors. This simile suggests that the branches are slowly and awkwardly moving out of the house. — The poem personifies the trees as living beings trying to escape confinement inside the house. The roots, leaves, and twigs show effort and struggle to move out. The comparison to patients emphasizes their weak, tentative movement.

Question 5

(i) How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?
(ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?
(iii) Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)

Accepted Answer

(i)(a) At the beginning of the third stanza, the moon is described as whole and shining in a sky still open.
(b) At the end of the stanza, the moon is described as broken like a mirror, with its pieces flashing in the crown of the tallest oak.
The change is caused by the movement of the trees stumbling forward into the night, with winds rushing to meet them, symbolically breaking the moon.

(ii) When the trees move out of the house, the house loses the forest inside it; the forest that was once part of the house departs, leaving the house emptier.

(iii) The poet does not mention the departure of the forest from the house in her letters possibly because such important and unexpected events can be embarrassing or difficult to express. It may reflect how people often remain silent about significant changes or losses that affect them deeply. — The moon’s description symbolizes change and disruption caused by the trees’ movement. The silence in the letters suggests emotional restraint or denial about the loss of the forest inside the house.

Question 6

Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are two suggestions. Can you think of others?

(i) Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned’, and need to ‘break out’?

(ii) On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings; this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning?

Accepted Answer

(i) Yes, the poem can be interpreted as presenting a conflict between man and nature. The trees are confined inside the house, like prisoners, while the natural forest outside is empty. This suggests that trees used as interior decoration are imprisoned, and they need to break free to their natural habitat. This can be compared to the poem 'A Tiger in the Zoo' where the tiger is confined and longs for freedom.

(ii) If the trees are taken as a metaphor for human beings, the poem may symbolize people who are confined or oppressed in unnatural environments and who long to break free and return to their true selves or natural state. The movement of the trees out of the house can represent liberation, growth, and reclaiming freedom. — The poem’s imagery supports multiple interpretations, including environmental and humanistic themes. The metaphor of trees as humans adds depth, suggesting struggles for freedom and identity.

Question 7

You may read the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ by Gieve Patel (Beehive – Textbook in English for Class IX, NCERT). Compare and contrast it with the poem you have just read.

Accepted Answer

Both poems deal with trees but from different perspectives:

- 'The Trees' by Adrienne Rich portrays trees as living beings confined indoors, struggling to break free and return to nature. It uses metaphor and personification to explore themes of freedom and confinement.

- 'On Killing a Tree' by Gieve Patel describes the physical process and violence involved in killing a tree, emphasizing its strength and resilience.

Comparison:
- Both poems highlight the strength and life force of trees.
- 'The Trees' focuses on liberation and movement, while 'On Killing a Tree' focuses on destruction and death.

Contrast:
- 'The Trees' uses gentle, hopeful imagery; 'On Killing a Tree' is stark and harsh.
- The former is metaphorical and symbolic; the latter is literal and descriptive.

This comparison helps understand different poetic approaches to nature and environmental themes. — The task encourages critical thinking and literary analysis by comparing themes, tone, and style of two poems about trees.

Question 8

Can you find the words below that are spelt similarly, and sometimes even pronounced similarly, but have very different meanings? Check their pronunciation and meaning in a dictionary.

- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
- The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

Accepted Answer

These are examples of homographs and homophones:

- 'Refuse' (verb) means to decline; 'refuse' (noun) means garbage.
- 'Dove' (noun) is a bird; 'dove' (verb, past tense of dive) means to plunge.
- 'Invalid' (adjective) means not valid; 'invalid' (noun) means a sick person.

Students should look up pronunciation and meanings in a dictionary to understand how the same spelling can have different meanings and pronunciations. — This exercise helps students understand homographs and homophones, improving vocabulary and pronunciation skills.

Question 9

Which of the following parts of India shows Portuguese influence as mentioned in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

Goa — The chapter mentions Goa as a region showing Portuguese influence, especially in its traditional bread-making and cultural practices.

Question 10

What is the local name for the traditional Goan village baker described in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

Pader — The chapter identifies the traditional Goan village baker as 'pader'. This term is used throughout the text to describe the bread-makers in Goa.

Question 11

What sound is associated with the arrival of the traditional Goan baker?

Accepted Answer

Jhang, jhang — The chapter describes the baker's arrival being heralded by the 'jhang, jhang' sound of his specially made bamboo staff.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the baker's attire during the Portuguese days in Goa?

Accepted Answer

Kabai, a single-piece long frock reaching the knees — The chapter states that the baker wore a peculiar dress called the kabai, which was a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees during Portuguese times.

Question 13

Why did children in Goan villages eagerly wait for the baker's arrival?

Accepted Answer

To get bread-bangles, a sweet bread treat — Children eagerly awaited the baker to get bread-bangles, which were special sweet bread treats distinct from the loaves bought by the household servants.

Question 14

Match the following items with their occasions as described in the chapter:
(i) Bol
(ii) Cakes and bolinhas
(iii) Sandwiches
(iv) Bread

Accepted Answer

— Given items are matched with occasions as follows:
(i) Bol - marriage gifts
(ii) Cakes and bolinhas - Christmas and festivals
(iii) Sandwiches - daughter's engagement
(iv) Bread - party or feast
This shows the cultural importance of these items in Goan society.

Question 15

Where were the monthly accounts of the Goan baker traditionally recorded?

Accepted Answer

On some wall in pencil — The chapter mentions that the baker used to record monthly accounts on some wall in pencil, a traditional and informal method.

Discuss in class

Discuss in class — Study Notes

Before You Read

I. A Baker from Goa

Thinking about the Text (A Baker from Goa)

Practice Questions — Discuss in class

All 9 Chapters in First Flight