XI English 1.3 The Call of the Soil: A Scent of Rice :- Textual Activities

1.3 The Call of the Soil: A Scent of Rice
By:-Venkateshwaran (Venkat) Iyer
ICE BREAKERS

A1:- Discuss the following with your partner and complete the following sentences. One is done for you.

Ans:- 

a) Before eating apples brought from the market, I wash and peel them off to stay away from any sort of contamination as far as possible.

(b) In a farmers’ market, we find rice, pulses, vegetables, fruits, dairy items, eggs, etc.

(c) Food adulteration means an addition of another substance to a food which may result in the loss of actual quality of food and its natural composition.

(d) Organic food is grown by using fertilizers made with natural ingredients, renewable resources and conservation of soil and water.

e) Organic fertilizer means a type of fertilizer derived from animal matter, human and animal excreta

(manure) and vegetable matter, that is, compost and crop residues.

A2:- Complete the following web diagram:

Ans:- 

A3:- (i) Find out from your grandparents or parents the names of vegetables and fruits they had eaten in their childhood and mention how the vegetables and fruits are different from the ones today.
Ans:-  

(ii) You might have learnt about organic farming. Make groups and discuss the difference between 

conventional farming and organic farming and write it down. 

Ans:-  

Activities given beside the text

A1: Guess the meaning of the word ‘lush’ in this context.
Ans: growing luxuriantly, thick.

A2:Find words related to agriculture.
Ans:- The words related to agriculture are:
(i) foliage of moong  

(ii) pods  

(iii) crop 

(iv) land  

(v) farming  

(vi) plant   

(vii) sow  

(viii) season 
(ix) seeds 

(x) tractor  

(xi) plough  

(xii) leaves  

(xiii) bloom  

(xiv) field  

(xv)ground  

(xvi) pesticide 

(xvii) yield  

(xviii) chemicals  

(xix) farm  

(xx) harvest  

(xxi) fertile  

(xxii) hybrids  

(xxiii) fertilizers 

(xxiv) farmers 

(xxv) rice, etc.

A3: The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because......

Ans: The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because he suggested the use of some pesticides on the plants. The author was absolutely clear in his mind not to use any chemical which will be harmful for the soil, the plants and ultimately for human health. But for Moru Dada and his friends who were used to the conventional farming, this decision of the author was unthinkable.

A4: The writer wanted to grow the traditional variety of rice because.......
Ans: 

(i) It did not need very high variety of fertilizers
(ii) This variety is quite strong and is able to resist pests.

A5: The writer almost gave up hope of finding the desi variety of rice because......
Ans: 

(i)  In spite of his regular visits to the villages around in search of a good desi variety, he was not successful.

(ii) Most of the farmers, especially the younger generation, in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids and looked down upon the 'desi’ variety, as they called it as the local scented variety of rice.

A6: Mention the varieties of rice from the passage, "Most of the farmers.......... disappeared"
Ans: :- 

(i)   Kasbai - local long-grained scented variety
(ii)  Basmati - more aromatic than Kasbai
(iii) Hybrids - the latest craze of the farmers.

A7: List ways in which the Government officer cooperated with the author
Ans: 

(i) The agricultural officer felt that the villagers were fooling the author as they had no rice by the name ‘Kasbai' and offered to give him some latest hybrid seeds free of cost for a trial.

(ii) The officer-in-charge of Adivasi Mahamandal at Kasa informed the author that he remembered buying Kasbai rice a few years ago.

(iii) The second gentleman definitely had more knowledge of ice which he shared with the author.

A8:Find synonyms for ‘insipid’
Ans: The synonyms of "insipid' are: (i) tasteless     (ii) flavourless     (iii) bland

BRAINSTORMING

(A1) (i) Read the extract and state whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) Growing in abundance is more important than the quality of the crop.

Ans: False- The quality of the crop is more important than growing in abundance a lesser variety of crops.

(b) The author wanted to grow the desi variety of rice.
Ans: True
 (c) The author did not succeed in finding Kasbai.
Ans: False- The author was successful in finding Kasbai from an Adivasi woman at Boripada, a remote village.
 (d) The aroma of the ‘desi’ rice would spread around the village.
Ans: True
 (e) Newer hybrid crops have a great appetite for chemicals.
Ans: True
 (f) The author is an example of ‘reverse migration’.
Ans: True (‘Reverse Migration' is a new trend of shifting from bigger cities to nearby smaller towns or suburbs)
 
(ii) Complete the flow chart. Consider this as an example of Note-Making.
Ans:                                                   Discovery of Kasbai rice.

(iii) Read the text and fill in the blanks. One is done for you.

Ans:- 

(a) The author wanted to grow organic moong.

(b) Moru Dada wanted to spray pesticides on the moong crop.

(c) Baban's father and some elders mentioned the name of Kasbai.

(d) “Hybrids need more water, fertilizers and pesticides", said Devu Handa.

(e) The author bought ten kilos of rice from an Adivasi woman who lived in the remote hills.

(A2) (i) List the reactions of the agricultural officer to the author’s inquiry about Kasbai rice seeds. One is done for you.

Ans:- 

(a) He had not heard of Kasbai.

(b) He felt that the villagers were fooling the author.

(c) He mentioned the names of the latest hybrids and also offered to give him some, free of cost.

(ii) Go through the text once again and note down Devu Handa’s fond memories of Kasbai in your exercise book. One is done for you.

Ans: Devu Handa has fond memories of Kasbai. They are as follows:

(a) It needs no protection from rain.

(b) It has an alluring aroma.

(c) It has no hunger for chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides.

(A3) (i) The writer says he grew ‘an awful lot of moong’. Explain the word 'awful' in this sentence.

Ans: “An awful lot" is an idiom meaning 'a very large amount’. Everyone known to the writer did not expect a good yield of moong since he refused to spray any chemical on the plants. In spite of that Nature did her job and the writer could get three hundred kilograms of moong which was not only 'awful, that means large number but also a confidence-builder for a first-timer.

(ii) The word scent is different from its synonyms aroma, fragrance or perfume. Explain how the word 'scent' in the subtitle ‘Scent of the Rice’, has a deeper meaning than ‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’. Tick phrases having a similar meaning from the following:

(a) In pursuit of           

(b) To smell a rat                 

(c) To be keen

(d) On the trail of       

(e) To feel under the weather

Ans: (i) The word 'Scent' in the subtitle 'Scent of Rice' has a deeper meaning than its usual meaning of fragrance or perfume in the context of the text and for the author because he was trying to revive the tradition of Kasbai rice which everyone agreed had an alluring aroma. The modern farmers are forgetting conventions and have fallen a prey to hybrids. The natural ‘scent’ that is flavour of Kasbai had drawn the writer towards real India, unspoilt by progress. The 'scent' was largely responsible for his quest.

(ii) Phrases

(a) In pursuit of: a quest in order to achieve something.

(b) To smell a rat: to believe something wrong is happening.

(c) To be keen: interested in some activity one often does and enjoys.

(d) On the trail of: trying to find someone or something by getting information about it.

(e) To feel under the water: feel emotionally overwhelmed.

      The phrases having a similar meaning of 'A Scent of Rice' are:-  (i) On the trail of    (ii) In pursuit of.

(A4) Read the following sentence:

(i) She muttered in reply and we looked at Jeevan for a quick interpretation.

(ii) These are two complete sentences underlying the above sentence.

→(a) She muttered in reply.

→(b) We looked at Jeevan for quick interpretation. 

         These two sentences are put together by using the co-ordinating conjunction ‘and’. Such sentences which are joined by co-ordinating conjunctions (and/ but/ either...or; neither...nor) are called compound sentences.

           Sentence ‘a’ and ‘b’ are Simple Sentences. Each of them has only one subject and one predicate.  Sentence ‘a’ and ‘b’ can be written in another way. 

→As she muttered in reply, we looked at Jeevan for a quick interpretation.

        This sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction ‘As’. This is a complex sentence. Two simple sentences joined by subordinate conjunctions are called complex sentences. The subordinate conjunction need not always be in the beginning of the sentence.

      Make pairs and groups and find out some more simple, complex and compound sentences from the text. Prepare a list of subordinating conjunctions. 

Ans: 

(1) Sentences:-

(i) Simple Sentences-

a) At that point, I could not have asked for anything more.

b) Moru Dada rented his tractor to plough the land.

c) We started to look for a good variety of traditional rice.

d) The officer-in-charge here had more knowledge of rice.

(ii) Complex Sentences-

a) Kasbai is a traditional long-grained rice variety which has a distinct aroma.

b) My bare feet were muddy as I walked around gingerly.

c) We were clear that we would not use any chemicals.

d) Even when there were flash floods in the sixties, Kasbai had stood its ground.

(iii) Compound Sentences-

a) They just grew their rice and ate what they got.

b) It was just before sunrise and the sky was turning a bright orange.

c) I made a quick trip to Surat and bought around 10 kilograms of moong.

d) Nature did her job and she needed no bribes.

(2) List of subordinating conjunctions.

Ans:- All Wh-words like, who, what, when, whom, where, why, how, though/ although, unless, since, as, that, because, while, whereas, before, whichever, whoever, after etc. are subordinating conjunctions.

(A5) (i) Planting and growing more crops a year seems to be progress by normal standards; but the chapter makes a case against it. Give reasons.

Ans: Definitely planting and growing more crops a year need to be the target of the farmers but that should not be done at the cost of health hazards due to spraying of chemicals on the plants, using hybrid seeds and most importantly, forgetting our own tradition. Progress is always welcome but it should go hand in hand with safety of health and environment, importance of tradition and sentiment and last but not the least care for the rich biodiversity of our land.

(ii) Describe in about 150 words your experience similar to the writer’s when you pursued something and reached your goal.

Ans: I believe "A man without an aim is like a ship without a radar". I have been taught from my childhood to set a goal for myself. The choice of my ambition was left to me only and was never forced to do anything. I had multiple interests like playing football, drawing, painting and also writing about my various experiences. I started writing blogs on different social topics of my interest as well as of my own experiences in multiple walks of life. Gradually, after getting positive responses to my blogs, I got the confidence of writing short stories which were quite well accepted too by my friends and relatives. That gave me immense faith to choose writing as my profession.

      One day, I saw an advertisement of "Crossword” bookstore asking young writers to take part in a story-writing competition. About forty stories will be published as a book titled "I want to be an author.” Without thinking twice, I took part in the competition and the rest is history. Today, I am one of those forty-one young story-tellers.

(iii) The writer goes in search of an invaluable indigenous variety of seeds. List three reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural practices.

Ans: The reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural practices are:

(i) (a) Reducing environmental stress by channeling water from mountain peaks to areas of demand and this practice has been going on for centuries. (b) Using natural fertilizers made from cow dung, cow urine, evaporated cane juice of raw sugar and water to save sick plants. This practice has been mentioned in the Vedas.

(ii) Traditional techniques like crop rotation, erosion prevention, systematic use of composts and manures lead to natural agricultural practices and promise better yields.

(iii) (a) Chemical fertilizers lead to degraded soil condition, deterioration in the health of quality of crops and livestock. (b) Organic agriculture combined with tradition, innovation and science, benefits the health of the soil, people and the environment.

(iv) Write a blog in about 100 to 150 words on organic farming.

Ans:                                                Organic farming- A Blessing or A Curse

         Early 20^th Century saw the birth the organic farming which is an alternative to agricultural system in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. It encourages the use of naturally occurring substances and strictly prohibits synthetic substances. Organic farming allows organically made fertilizers like compost manure, green manure and bone meal manure. Though they do not stop the use of some naturally occurring pesticides but synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are strongly prohibited. They are in favour of techniques like crop rotation, biological pest control, mixed cropping and nurturing insect killers. Organic farming methods are internationally regulated since it has proved advantageous for health and food safety, food security, soil fertility and most importantly sustainability and biodiversity. That is why; the demand for organic farming has been steadily growing and is being encouraged all over the world. Organic farmers believe that agriculture was practised for thousands of years without the use of chemicals. lf it was possible then, nothing should be impossible now.

(v) Write a short paragraph in about 120 words, to be used as Counter-View for the following topic. 'Buy a bigger cloth for your coat'.

 View Section:

(a) We cannot survive by the dictum 'Cut your cloth according to your coat' in today's world.

(b) In the modern world we should 'Think Big'.

(c) Think of increasing your income instead of reducing your needs.

(d) We con not deny ourselves, what the new world offers us.

Ans:                                                                     Counter-view:

           Today's world is full of attractions. But we need to be careful about spending according to our means. We have to be prudent (wise) enough to save for the rainy days so that we don't have to beg or borrow during emergency. It is, of course, essential to think big but at the same time over-ambition should not lead us to a point of no-return. We should be well-aware of our capabilities and try to reach our goal judiciously instead of foolishly increasing our demands. We must make "slow but steady wins the race", the motto of our life. Even if the new world has lots of offer, we must develop the quality of patience to wait for the right thing to come at the right time.

(vi) 'Organic farming is the need of the time'. Write your views in favour and against the statement.

Ans: 

(vii) Appeal your classmates to say 'No to Junk Food'. Write an appeal to prefer organic food over junk food.

Ans:                                                      Attention!  Attention!  Attention!

My Dear Friends

Do you know what you're putting in your mouth? You surely know, you are what you eat.

I’m here to advise you not to use your stomach as a trash can! PLEASE SAY NO TO JUNK FOOD. 

But, what is a junk food? They're all your favourites- yes, they are! French fries, chicken nuggets, nachos, taco burgers, chips, chocolates, pizzas, cakes- Ah! all are mouth-watering, aren’t they? But they are also slow-poisoning us everyday causing obesity, various liver diseases, diabetes, blood pressure at a very young age- the list is long but the choice is yours!

Remember: Healthy organic foods bless us but junk foods mess us. Junk food which is rich in calories, fat, Sugar and salt are yummier, I do agree with you. But are you ready to take such a big risk of spoiling your health and youth? Eat fresh, local and seasonal food because 'health is wealth’, my dear friends!

Friends, you must eat to live and not live to eat. Let’s all have a healthy mind in a healthy body. It is my call, your call - our call!

(A6) Projects:

(i) Plant the seed of a flower or fruit of your choice in a pot or in your garden. Note its growth every day and maintain a diary recording its progress.

Ans: 

एका कुंडीत किंवा तुमच्या बागेत एखाद्या फुल / फळ झाडाचे बी पेरा. नंतर दरदिवशी त्या झाडाच्या होणाऱ्या वाढीच्या नोंदी एका नोंदवहीत करून ठेवा.

(ii) Find out more career opportunities in the field of agriculture, organic farming, sales, storage, distribution and marketing research.

Ans:- वरील प्रकल्पाची माहिती इंटरनेटवर शोधून वहीत लिहायची आहे.