Chapter 10: Kathmandu

English
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Chapter 10: Kathmandu

Class: IX

Exercise number - 1

Question 1 

Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.

1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
2. The writer says, "All this I wash down with Coca Cola." What does ‘all this’ refer to?
3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
4. Name five kinds of flutes.

Answer 1

1. Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath stupa are the two temples that were visited by the author in Kathmandu.
2. In the above context ‘All this’ refers to a bar of marzipan. A corn-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal stove (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon), a couple of love story comics, and a Reader’s Digest.
3. The fifty or sixty bansuris protruding in all directions from the bamboo-made pole is compared to the quills of a porcupine by

Vikram Seth.

4. The reed neh, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America, and the high-pitched Chinese flutes are the five kinds of flutes.

Question 2 

Answer each question in a short paragraph.

1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of

(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)

(ii) the things he sees

(iii) the sounds he hears

Answer 2

1. The flute seller selected a flute from time to time and played it only for a few minutes. Above the noise of the traffic and the hawkers’ cry the sound rose clearly, while the flute seller played slowly, meditatively, and without excessive display, the hawkers shouted out their wares.

2.There is a small shrine at Pashupatinath that protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank. When it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of Kaliyug will end on earth is the belief they had.

3. (i).Outside the temple of Pashupatinath, the author has drawn powerful images and pictures of the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’. Worshippers who tried to gain the priest’s attention were elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front. as only Hindus were allowed to enter the temple, on the main gate a party of saffron-clad Westerners struggled for permission to enter. Suddenly a fight broke out between two monkeys where one was chasing the other, who jumped onto a shivalinga and then ran screaming around the temples and down to the holy Bagmati river.

(ii).He was amazed seeing an immense white dome, which was ringed by a road at the Baudhnath Stupa. There were small shops on the other outer edge where felt bags, Tibetan prints and silver jewellery could be bought. However, that place was not crowded. He saw fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques on the busiest streets of Kathmandu.

(iii) He was able to hear the sounds of film songs that were blaring out from the radios, loud car horns, bicycle bells, vendors shouting out their wares. He also listened to flute music and he called it the most universal and most particular of sounds.

Question 3

Answer the following questions in not more than 100 − 150 words each.

1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupathinath temple.
2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
3. "To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind." Why does the author say this?

Answer 3

1. The atmosphere at Pashupatinath temple was one of noise, chaos and confusion. The worshippers were trying to get the priest’s attention, wherein others were pushing each other to move front. There were saffron-clad Westerners trying to enter the temple. To add more noise there were monkeys screaming and fighting; Upon looking at the banks of the river Bagmati a corpse was being cremated, washerwomen were at their work, while their children were bathing. In contrast the ambiance at the Baudhnath stupa was "a haven of quietness in the busy streets around". A sense of stillness and serenity about the Buddhist shrine was there.
2. There were small shrines and flower-adorned deities along the busiest streets of Kathmandu. He also saw fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques on the busiest streets of Kathmandu. He was able to hear the sounds of film songs that were blaring out from the radios, loud car horns, bicycle bells, vendors shouting out their wares. He also saw a flute seller with many bansuris and then he compared the serene music produced by the flute seller with the cries of the hawkers.
3. According to the author listening to the music of flute is the most universal and most particular of all music as there is no culture that does not have its flute. With wide variety of flutes being available, each type of flute has a specific fingering and compass, and "weaves its own associations". For the author, to hear any flute is "to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind" as the flute produces music with the help of human breath though the flute have different varieties. Similarly, with the same living breath running through all of us, we human beings are the same in spite of the differences in caste, culture, religion and region.

Question 1 

Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases. Then match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

1. A communal war broke out when the princess was abducted by the neighbouring prince.
2. The cockpit broke off from the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4. The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of the father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.

Answer 1

Question 2

Answer 2

1.

(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.

(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks imagination.

(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.

(iv) Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.

(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.

Question 3 

Punctuation

Use capital letter, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph. an arrogant lion was wandering though the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he marched upto an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer

Answer 3

An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle. One day, he asked the tiger, "Who is stronger than you?" "You, O lion!" replied the tiger. "Who is more fierce than a leopard?" asked the lion. "You sir," replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air, and threw him down. "Look," said the lion, "there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer."

Question 4 

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

(i) The heart is a pump that ___________ (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action ____________ (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart ____________ (contract). This ____________ (force) the blood out into the arteries, which __________ (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it _________ (dig) a pit and ___________ (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule ____________ (dry) and _____________ (harden), but when rain ___________(come), the mud ___________ (dissolve) and the lungfish ___________ (swim) away.

(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. ____________ (Do) anyone play an instrument?

Vipul: Rohit _________ (play) the flute.

Mahesh: __________ (Do) he also act?

Vipul: No, he __________ (compose) music.

Mahesh: That’s wonderful!

Answer 4

(i) The heart is a pump that sends the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. This forces the blood out into the arteries, which expands to receive the oncoming blood.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it digs a pit and encloses itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries and hardens, but when rain comes, the mud dissolves and the lungfish swims away.

(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. Does anyone play an instrument?

Vipul: Rohit plays the flute.

Mahesh: Does he also act?

Vipul: No, he composes music.

Mahesh: That’s wonderful!