Chapter 10 The Banyan Tree Solutions
Question - 1 : - Complete the following sentences.
1. The old banyan tree тАЬdid not belongтАЭ to grandfather, but only to the boy, because
________
2. The small gray squirrel became friendly when
______________________________
3. When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel
__________________________________
4. In the spring, the banyan tree _________________________________, and
___________________________________ would come there.
5. The banyan tree served the boy as a _____________________________
6. The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree
_________________
Answer - 1 : -
1. The old banyan tree тАЬdid not belongтАЭ to grandfather, but only to the boy, because the grandfather at sixty-five could no longer climb it.
2. The small grey squirrel became friendly when he found that the boy did not arm himself with catapult or air-gun.
3. When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel grew quite bold and was soon taking morsels from the authorтАЩs hand.
4. In the spring, the banyan tree was full of small red figs, and birds of all kind would come there.
5. The banyan tree served the boy as a library.
6. The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree when it was not too hot.
Question - 2 : - тАЬIt was to be a battle of champions.тАЭ(8)
(i) What qualities did the two champions have? Pick out words and phrases from the paragraph above this line in the text and write them down.
| Mongoose | Cobra |
| (a) | (a) |
| (b) | (b) |
| (c) | (c) |
(ii) What did the cobra and the mongoose do, to show their readiness for the fight?Answer - 2 : -
┬а(i)
| Mongoose | Cobra |
| (a) superb fighter | (a) skilful |
| (b) clever | (b) experienced fighter |
| (c) aggressive | (c) swift |
(ii) To show the readiness for their fight, the cobra hissed defiance with his forked tongue darting in and out, he raised three of his six feet off the ground and spread his broad, spectacled hood. On the other hand, the mongoose bushed his tail and the long hair on his spine stood up.
Question - 3 : - Who were the other two spectators? What did they do? (Did they watch, or did they join in the fight?) (10)
Answer - 3 : -
The other two spectators were a myna and a jungle crow. They settled on the cactus to watch the outcome. They were not content only to watch the fight, they took part in the proceedings and hurled themselves at the cobra.
Question - 4 : - Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in the proper order. (11, 16) | (i) | Ceased to struggle | | Grabbed the snake by the snout |
| (ii) | Tried to mesmerise the mongoose | | Dragged the snake into the bushes |
| (iii) | Coiled itself around the mongoose | | Darted away and bit the cobra on the back |
| (iv) | Struck the crow | | Pretended to attack the cobra on one side |
| (v) | Struck again and missed | | Refused to look into the snakeтАЩs eyes |
| (v) | Struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack | | Sprang aside, jumped in and bit |
Answer - 4 : -
| Snake | Mongoose |
| (ii)┬аTried to mesmerise the mongoose | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Refused to look into the snakeтАЩs eyes |
| (vi)┬аStruck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Pretended to attack the cobra on one side |
| (v)┬аStruck again and missed | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Sprang aside jumped in and bit |
| (iv)┬аStruck the crow | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Darted away and bit the cobra on the back |
| (iii)┬аCoiled itself around the mongoose | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Grabbed the snake by the snout |
| (i)┬аCeased to struggle | ┬╖┬а┬а┬а┬а┬а Dragged the snake into the bushes |
┬а
Question - 5 : - (i) What happened to the crow in the end? (16)
(ii) What did the myna do finally? (17)
Answer - 5 : -
(i) In the end, the crow was flung nearly twenty feet across the garden by a blow from the cobraтАЩs snout. The crow fluttered about for a while and then lay still.
(ii) Finally, the myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance, and then, with a shrill cry of congratulation, flew away.
Question - 6 : - 1. The word тАШroundтАЩ usually means a kind of shape. What is its meaning in the story?
2. Find five words in the following paragraph, which are generally associated with trees. But here, they have been used differently. Underline the words.
Hari leaves for work at nine every morning. He works in the local branch of the firm of which his uncle is the owner. HariтАЩs success is really the fruit of his own labour. He is happy, but he has a small problem. The root cause of his problem is a stray dog near his office. The dog welcomes Hari with a loud bark every day.
Answer - 6 : -
1. In the story the word тАШroundтАЩ means the different stages of the fight between the cobra and the mongoose.
2. Leaves, branch, fruit, root and bark
Question - 7 : - The words in the box areall words that describe movement. Use them to fill in the blanks in thesentences below.
| dived | gliding | Sprang |
| darting | whippedтАжback | delving |
1. When he began to trustme, the squirrel began _________ into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra___________ out of a clump of cactus.
3. The snake hissed, hisforked tongue ____________ in and out.
4. When the cobra tried tobite it, the mongoose _____________ aside.
5. The snake_______________ his head ________________ to strike at the crow.
6.The birds _______________ at the snake.
┬а
Answer - 7 : -
1. When he began to trust me, the squirrel began delving into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra gliding out of a clump of trees.
3. The snake hissed, his forked tongue darting in and out.
4. When the cobra tried to bite it, the mongoose sprang aside.
5. The snake whipped his head back to strike at the crow.
6. The birds dived at the snake.
Question - 8 : - Find words in the story, which show things striking violently against each other.
1. The cobra struck the crow, his snout th _ _ _ing against its body. (15)
2. The crow and the myna c _ ll _ _ _ _ in mid-air. (13)
3. The birds dived at the snake, but b _ _ _ _ d into each other instead. (14)
Answer - 8 : -
1. The cobra struck the crow, his snout thudding against its body. (15)
2. The crow and the myna collided in mid тИТ air. (13)
3. The birds dived at the snake, but bumped into each other instead. (14)