This MCQ module is based on: Reading Comprehension — Text I: The Parsis of Delhi
TOPIC 5 OF 9
Reading Comprehension — Text I: The Parsis of Delhi
🎓 Class 10
English
CBSE
Theory
Ch 5 — Unit 5 — The Hundred Dresses
⏱ ~34 min
🌐 Language: [gtranslate]
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Pre-Reading Warm-Up — Unit 5: Glimpses of India
India is a land of extraordinary diversity — in food, traditions, language, and landscape. This unit takes you from the Parsi community's festive kitchens in Delhi to the coffee terraces of Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh.
Predict: What do you think "Glimpses of India" means? What glimpses might two passages — one on Parsis and one on coffee — offer?
Activate: Name any traditional food item from your state that takes a lot of effort to prepare. Why is it made on special occasions?
Vocabulary: Can you guess the meaning of: cajole, dainty, bio-dynamic, trajectory? Look them up after reading.
Connect: Have you ever eaten food that carries a cultural memory — something a grandparent made that no one else can replicate?
Discussion Points:
• "Glimpses of India" suggests short but vivid impressions of India's diverse communities and regions — not a comprehensive view, but meaningful snapshots.
• The Parsi passage offers a glimpse into a small but culturally rich community's food traditions; the Araku passage shows how a tribal valley became a global coffee brand.
• Both passages celebrate India's diversity — one through memory and festivity, the other through innovation and empowerment.
• "Glimpses of India" suggests short but vivid impressions of India's diverse communities and regions — not a comprehensive view, but meaningful snapshots.
• The Parsi passage offers a glimpse into a small but culturally rich community's food traditions; the Araku passage shows how a tribal valley became a global coffee brand.
• Both passages celebrate India's diversity — one through memory and festivity, the other through innovation and empowerment.
Reading Comprehension — Text I: The Parsis of Delhi
The following excerpt, adapted from 'Down Memory Lane with the Parsis of New Delhi' by Shernaz Italia (The Wire), describes the food traditions of the Parsi community.
1"Aavoji, aavo, aavo! Welcome to Delhi! Let me show you my beautiful city." The booming voice of Nowrosji Kapadia filled the Old Delhi railway station as the Frontier Mail chugged in from Mumbai. It was his favourite pastime — welcoming Parsi visitors and cajoling them home for a meal, sometimes persuading them to stay overnight. He would use every visit to speak of the advantages of settling in Delhi. Though his wife Jer Bai would occasionally protest at unexpected guests, she was always overruled. This was how the Parsi community of Delhi began.
2Writing about the Parsis of old Delhi is not easy. There are memories of grandparents and parents — a collective memory of generations past, people long gone, yet present in spirit.
3At festive gatherings, the women prepared all the food themselves; outside catering was unheard of. The poorer members never knew who had covered the cost. This tradition continued in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Allahabad well into the 1970s. Sadly, that kind of communal life has almost disappeared.
4Food preparations began two days in advance. Dar ni pori (rich pastry filled with sweetened lentils) and malido (a Parsi-style halwa) were carried in large vatus (clay pots) and served with puris. Anyone who has prepared malido can vouch for how exhausting it is — you need strong arms. The first time the author made it under her grandmother's guidance was also the last; she could barely lift her arms for two days. That experience gave her a new respect for her dainty grandmother. Personification
5The breakfast menu was extensive: sev (brown vermicelli in milk with fresh cream) or ravo (semolina pudding), sweetened curd, hard-boiled eggs, and mutton mince with liver. Lunch included white boiled rice with yellow dal and a tangy fish curry.
6Teatime was something special. The author's grandmother would dress elegantly for tea, and the author was made to do the same. Out came batasa, nan-khatai, flaky khari, patrel (steamed arbi leaves stuffed with lentil spice), rich kumas cake, and the author's favourite — bhakra, sweet deep-fried doughnuts. That tradition of a proper teatime has stayed with the author to this day.
Adapted from: 'Down Memory Lane with the Parsis of New Delhi' by Shernaz Italia, The Wire
Look Up and Understand — Text I Vocabulary
cajoleVerb
To persuade someone gently, using flattery or soft pressure
"He would cajole visitors to stay for dinner."
overruledVerb (past)
To reject someone's decision or objection using authority
"Her protests were always overruled by her husband's enthusiasm."
vouchVerb
To confirm or guarantee something based on personal knowledge
"I can vouch for the fact that making malido is exhausting."
daintyAdjective
Delicately small and pretty; refined in manner
"Her dainty grandmother had surprising physical strength."
extensiveAdjective
Covering a large area or range; very large in amount
"The menu was so extensive it took two days to prepare."
Q.1 — Infer the Meaning
(a) "Nowrosji would cajole Parsi visitors off the train."
He would use gentle persuasion, charm, and friendly pressure to convince Parsi travellers arriving at Delhi station to leave the train and accompany him home — not by force, but by soft-talking them with warmth and hospitality.
(b) "Jer Bai would occasionally object to unknown visitors, she was always overruled."
Although Nowrosji's wife Jer Bai sometimes protested about having strangers in the house, Nowrosji's decision always prevailed — her objections were dismissed or set aside by his greater enthusiasm for hospitality. It shows he was the dominant decision-maker in the household on matters of guests.
(c) "...outside catering was unheard of."
The idea of hiring outside caterers for festive meals was completely unknown — never considered. The women of the community always prepared all the food themselves, reflecting strong values of self-sufficiency, communal effort, and pride in home-cooked tradition.
(d) "I gained a healthy respect for my dainty grandmother."
After struggling to stir malido (which requires enormous physical effort) and barely being able to move her arms for two days, the author developed a deep appreciation for her small, delicate-looking grandmother who had always made it with apparent ease. "Healthy respect" means a genuine, experience-based admiration — earned through trying the task herself.
Q.2 — Answer the following questions
(a) Who said "Aavoji, aavo, aavo! Welcome to Delhi!" and why?
Nowrosji Kapadia said this. He had a habit of visiting Old Delhi railway station to greet the Frontier Mail arriving from Mumbai. He would call out this welcome in Gujarati to Parsi passengers, eager to invite them home for meals and to persuade some to settle in Delhi. It was an expression of community pride and generous hospitality.
(b) Why were Jer Bai's arguments always overruled?
Nowrosji's enthusiasm for welcoming fellow Parsis was far stronger than his wife's reluctance. His deep sense of community obligation and hospitality overrode her practical concerns about strangers in the house. He simply would not accept her objections — his will and passion won every time.
(c) Why do you think outside catering was unheard of?
In those days, Parsi communal identity was closely tied to home-cooked food. Women saw cooking for the community as an honour, a religious and social duty. Hiring outsiders would have been seen as abandoning tradition, showing disrespect for the community's culinary heritage, or admitting you couldn't manage — all unacceptable by the values of the time.
(d) According to the writer, what "kind of life has almost gone forever"?
The writer mourns the loss of a close-knit communal life where the wealthier members quietly covered costs so the poorer ones could celebrate without shame, where food was entirely home-prepared, where strangers were welcomed without hesitation, and where the community gathered with deep bonds of shared identity. This way of living — generous, collective, and rooted — has largely disappeared.
(e) What made the writer more respectful towards her grandmother?
When the writer tried making malido herself, she found it so physically demanding that she could barely use her arms for two days. Seeing how difficult the task was, she gained enormous respect for her small, delicate-looking grandmother who had always prepared it with skill and apparent ease. Doing the task herself gave her an experiential understanding of her grandmother's hidden strength.
(f) What was special about teatime in the writer's home?
Teatime was a formal, almost ceremonial occasion. Both the grandmother and the young writer would dress up specially for it. Tea was then served with an array of Parsi delicacies: batasa, nan-khatai, khari biscuits, patrel, kumas cake, and bhakra (sweet doughnuts). This ritual of dressing up and eating special foods together made teatime a cherished and memorable tradition that stayed with the writer throughout her life.
Q.3 — Tick: What is "an exhausting exercise"?
The text explicitly states: "Anyone who has made malido can vouch for the fact that you need strong biceps; it is an exhausting exercise." The passage refers directly to cooking this dish, not the other options.
Reading Comprehension — Text II: Araku Coffee
The following excerpt, adapted from 'What's Brewing in Araku Valley?' by Diya Kohli (Livemint), explores the remarkable story of Araku coffee in Andhra Pradesh.
1Located about 1,200 metres above sea level, the Araku Valley is nestled in the north-eastern corner of Andhra Pradesh, sharing a border with Odisha. For visitors at the Araku Balloon Festival (held every January), this offers sightseeing quite unlike anything else.
2The story of Araku Coffee traverses an unusual trajectory — from a tribal livelihood initiative to globally recognised excellence. The drive through five northern mandals (administrative blocks) — Ananthagiri, Dumbriguda, Hukumpeta, Munchingiputtu, and Araku Valley — passes through densely forested hills, sweeping valley terraces, and occasional village clusters. The name "Araku" was chosen simply because it sounded poetic.
3The journey of Araku Coffee from a livelihood initiative by the Naandi Foundation to a globally appreciated product took over a decade. Its history is also intrinsically tied to how coffee first arrived in this valley — brought by British civil servant N.S. Brodie in 1898.
4Today, Araku Coffee works with 517 villages and 10,986 farmers — all of whom are estate owners and entrepreneurs with a stake in the business. Its exceptional quality comes from bio-dynamic farming: composting enriches the soil; shade trees — including mango and jackfruit — protect the plants. Terroirs are carefully assessed, and standard procedures are applied "from sapling to savouring", ensuring healthier plants and a superior coffee aroma and flavour. Alliteration
Adapted from: 'What's Brewing in Araku Valley?' by Diya Kohli, Livemint, 23 February 2019
Look Up and Understand — Text II Vocabulary
traversesVerb
To travel across or through; to span a route or journey
"The story traverses a remarkable path from poverty to global fame."
trajectoryNoun
The path or course of something over time; a direction of development
"The trajectory of Araku coffee's growth is inspiring."
intrinsicallyAdverb
In a fundamental, essential, or inherent way — belonging naturally to something
"The brand is intrinsically tied to the welfare of tribal farmers."
bio-dynamicAdjective
A farming approach that treats the farm as a living, self-sustaining ecosystem
"Bio-dynamic farming avoids chemicals and uses composting."
terroirsNoun (pl.)
The natural environment — soil, climate, terrain — that gives a product its distinctive character
"The terroirs of Araku Valley produce coffee with a unique aroma."
mandalsNoun (pl.)
Administrative subdivisions of a district in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
"Coffee is grown across five mandals in the region."
Q.1 — Infer the meaning
(a) "traverses an unusual trajectory"
This phrase means that Araku Coffee has followed a surprising and non-obvious path of development — from a tribal welfare project to international recognition. The journey it took is not the typical route a product travels; it involved social empowerment, innovation, and cultural identity, making it extraordinary.
(b) "The drive to far-flung coffee estates"
"Far-flung" means widely scattered and remote — difficult to reach. The coffee estates are spread across distant, hard-to-access hill tracts in the valley, requiring a long drive through varied landscapes of forests, valleys, and terraced farms.
(c) "densely forested hills"
Hills that are thickly covered with trees and vegetation, allowing very little sunlight to reach the ground. The dense forest cover creates ideal growing conditions for shade-loving coffee plants.
(d) "village clusters"
Groups of villages situated close together, appearing as small settlements scattered across the landscape. In Araku Valley, these are primarily tribal communities involved in coffee cultivation.
Q.2 — Find words from the text
(a) In a place that is hidden (paragraph 1)
tucked (as in "tucked away" — the valley is tucked away in the north-eastern corner, meaning it is hidden or nestled in a remote spot)
(b) Distant or remote (paragraph 2)
far-flung — meaning widely scattered or situated far away from populated centres
(c) To improve the quality or flavour of something (paragraph 4)
enriched (as in "the soil is enriched through composting" — adding nutrients to improve quality)
(d) A smell, especially a pleasant one (paragraph 4)
aroma — a pleasant, distinctive fragrance, especially associated with food or nature
Q.3 — Answer in detail
(a) What is unique about Araku Valley as stated in paragraph one?
Araku Valley is located about 1,200 metres above sea level and is tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Andhra Pradesh, sharing a border with Odisha. What makes it unique is the stunning landscape — visitors can experience it both from the air (hot-air balloons at the annual Araku Balloon Festival) and from the ground, where the scenery shifts from dense forests to sweeping terraced valley farms and village clusters.
(c) Underline sentences that indicate Araku coffee has moved beyond being just a means of livelihood.
Key expressions: "Araku coffee is a brand..." — it is now a globally recognised brand, not merely a local crop; "all of whom are estate owners and entrepreneurs with a stake in the business" — farmers have ownership and agency; "globally appreciated product" — it has international recognition; "ensures...far superior coffee aroma and flavour" — quality has been elevated to world standards.
(d) State a historical fact about coffee in the valley.
Coffee was first introduced to the Araku hill tracts in 1898 by a British civil servant named N.S. Brodie. This makes the history of Araku coffee over 125 years old — a colonial introduction that has since been transformed into a symbol of tribal empowerment and global excellence.
Q.4 — Tick: "sapling to savouring" means:
The phrase "from sapling to savouring" is a beautifully alliterative expression covering the entire lifecycle of the coffee product — from planting the seedling (sapling) to the final enjoyment of the brewed drink (savouring). It means quality control is maintained at every single stage of production.
Vocabulary — Sounds and Their Collocations
In English, certain sounds are typically associated with specific things or situations. Knowing these collocations makes your writing and speech more vivid. Match each verb/sound with the noun it naturally pairs with.
Sound Collocations — How Sounds Are Named
A collocation is a natural pairing of words that native speakers use together instinctively. For sounds, English pairs a verb (the type of sound) with a noun (what produces that sound).Example: rustling of leaves — dry leaves produce a soft, brushing sound called "rustling."
| Sound Verb | Paired With | Description of Sound |
|---|---|---|
| shuffling | of feet | A dragging, scraping sound made by feet sliding along the ground |
| striking | of a match | A sharp, quick scratch sound when a match is lit against a surface |
| puffing | of an engine | A rhythmic, forceful bursting sound made by steam or exhaust |
| clanking | of chains | A metallic, resonant rattling sound made when chains strike each other |
| sighing | of the wind | A long, low, breathy sound like someone exhaling — gentle, sorrowful |
| rustling | of leaves | A soft, dry, whispering sound of leaves moving in the breeze |
| banging | of the door | A loud, sudden impact sound when a door shuts or hits something |
| gurgling | of water | A soft bubbling, flowing sound made by water moving over stones |
| howling | of hyenas | A prolonged, wailing, echoing cry — eerie and high-pitched |
Additional sound collocations you should know:
• tinkling of bells — a light, clear, ringing sound
• crackling of fire — sharp, repeated snapping sounds from burning wood
• hissing of a snake — a sharp, sustained "sss" sound
• pattering of rain — light, rapid tapping sounds of raindrops
• roaring of thunder — a deep, powerful, rolling sound
• chirping of birds — short, sharp, high-pitched calls
• tinkling of bells — a light, clear, ringing sound
• crackling of fire — sharp, repeated snapping sounds from burning wood
• hissing of a snake — a sharp, sustained "sss" sound
• pattering of rain — light, rapid tapping sounds of raindrops
• roaring of thunder — a deep, powerful, rolling sound
• chirping of birds — short, sharp, high-pitched calls
Grammar — -ing and -ed Adjectives (Participial Adjectives)
Understanding -ing vs. -ed Adjectives
-ing adjective (present participle): Describes the cause — the thing or person that produces the feeling.→ "The test was frightening." (The test caused fear.)
-ed adjective (past participle): Describes the experience — the person who has the feeling.
→ "The students were frightened." (The students felt fear.)
Common pairs: boring/bored | interesting/interested | exciting/excited | amusing/amused | exhausting/exhausted | pleasing/pleased | welcoming/welcomed
Exercise — Fill in with past participle
Use the past participle form of the verb in brackets to complete each sentence. Choose from: infect, take, quote, use, watch, frighten, propose
(a) People demonstrated against the changes proposed
Past participle of "propose" → proposed. "The changes proposed" = changes that had been put forward or suggested. The participle modifies "changes."
(b) The loud cheer went up from the students watching
Here "watching" is a present participle used as a modifier: "the students watching" = the students who were watching. (Note: this also accepts "the students who had watched.") The -ing form describes their ongoing action.
(c) After the editor read the article, she checked all the examples quoted
Past participle of "quote" → quoted. "The examples quoted" = the examples that had been cited or referenced in the article.
(d) Rub the antiseptic cream in the infected area.
Past participle of "infect" → infected. The area has been infected (it has experienced infection). This is an -ed adjective describing the state of the area.
(e) My wallet was among the things taken.
Past participle of "take" → taken (irregular past participle). "Things taken" = things that were stolen or removed.
(f) Cyclone Fani was a frightening experience.
Use frightening (-ing form) because the cyclone was the cause of fear. Compare: "The people were frightened" (they experienced the fear). The cyclone = the thing that caused the frightening feeling.
Rewrite in Past Tense — Coorg Passage
The following excerpt from the Coorg section of First Flight (Class X) is written in present tense. Rewrite it in past tense, changing all verbs appropriately.
Original (Present Tense):
Birds, bees, and butterflies are there to give you company. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, and slender loris keep a watchful eye from the tree canopy. I do, however, prefer to step aside for wild elephants. The climb to the Brahmagiri hills brings you into a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg. A walk across the rope bridge leads to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama. Running into Buddhist monks from India's largest Tibetan settlement, at nearby Bylakuppe, is a bonus.
Past Tense Version:
Birds, bees, and butterflies were there to give you company. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, and slender loris kept a watchful eye from the tree canopy. I did, however, prefer to step aside for wild elephants. The climb to the Brahmagiri hills brought you into a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg. A walk across the rope bridge led to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama. Running into Buddhist monks from India's largest Tibetan settlement, at nearby Bylakuppe, was a bonus. The monks, in red, ochre, and yellow robes, were among the many surprises that waited to be discovered by visitors searching for the heart and soul of India, right there in Coorg.
Key changes: are→were | keep→kept | do prefer→did prefer | brings→brought | leads→led | is→was | wait→waited
Birds, bees, and butterflies were there to give you company. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, and slender loris kept a watchful eye from the tree canopy. I did, however, prefer to step aside for wild elephants. The climb to the Brahmagiri hills brought you into a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg. A walk across the rope bridge led to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama. Running into Buddhist monks from India's largest Tibetan settlement, at nearby Bylakuppe, was a bonus. The monks, in red, ochre, and yellow robes, were among the many surprises that waited to be discovered by visitors searching for the heart and soul of India, right there in Coorg.
Key changes: are→were | keep→kept | do prefer→did prefer | brings→brought | leads→led | is→was | wait→waited
Editing — The Valley of Flowers
The paragraph below contains spelling errors. Identify the incorrectly spelled words and write the correct spelling. The corrected version is shown below.
The journey to the Valley of Flowers begins about 16 km away from Joshimath, at Govindghat (1,770 m) on the Rishikesh-Badrinath heightway. The Valley of Flowers is covered with a rich varity of magnifiscent plants. Over the past few years, thousand of visitors have 'discovered' this idyll amidst the mountains. However, they leave behind their marks only in the form of empty cans, waste-paper and cigarete butts. Trakking in the area has resulted in the trampling of these delikate plants by humans and ponies. As a result, the government was compeled to ban all mountaineering, trekking, expeditions and livestock grasing in the area with effect from February 20, 1983. This is to privent further damage to one of our nation's unique repositories of natural beauty.
| Wrong Spelling | Correct Spelling | Rule/Tip |
|---|---|---|
| heightway | highway | No 'height' in highway; from 'high + way' |
| varity | variety | Root: 'vari-' + suffix '-ety'; note the 'e' |
| magnifiscent | magnificent | No 's' before 'cent'; ends in '-ficent' |
| thousand | thousands | Plural needed: "thousands of visitors" |
| cigarete | cigarette | Double 't' + final 'e': ciga-rette |
| Trakking | Trekking | 'Trek' (short 'e') + double 'k' + '-ing' |
| delikate | delicate | 'c' not 'k'; ends in '-cate' not '-kate' |
| compeled | compelled | Double 'l' before '-ed': compel → compelled |
| grasing | grazing | 'z' not 's': graze → grazing |
| privent | prevent | 'e' not 'i': pre-vent (from Latin 'praevenire') |
CBQ Practice — Extract-Based Questions
CBSE COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTION
"Today, Araku coffee is a brand that works with 517 villages and 10,986 farmers, all of whom are estate owners and entrepreneurs with a stake in the business. The reason the coffee is of such high quality is that it follows the best practices of bio-dynamic farming by creating an interconnected and symbiotic ecosystem."
Q1 What does the fact that farmers are "estate owners and entrepreneurs with a stake in the business" tell us about how the Araku model is different from typical agricultural schemes? L4 Analyse
In most agricultural models, farmers work on land owned by large corporations or landlords and receive wages without ownership rights. The Araku model is fundamentally different: the 10,986 farmers are owners and stakeholders — they have a financial interest in the business's success. This means they benefit directly from the brand's global success, are motivated to maintain quality, and have economic agency. It transforms agriculture from exploitation into empowerment, making Araku a model of equitable development. (80–100 words)
Q2 What does "bio-dynamic farming" mean and why does the passage present it as the key reason for Araku coffee's quality? L2 Understand
Bio-dynamic farming treats the farm as a living, self-sustaining ecosystem rather than a factory. In Araku, this involves composting to enrich the soil, planting shade trees (mango, jackfruit) that protect the coffee plants and yield income, and assessing terroirs carefully. The passage presents this as the reason for quality because it produces healthier plants and "sweeter cherries" — which eventually give a superior aroma and flavour. When you work with nature rather than against it, the product reflects that natural richness.
Q3 The phrase "interconnected and symbiotic ecosystem" suggests a relationship of mutual benefit. Can you identify two examples from the passage of this mutual benefit? L4 Analyse
1. Shade trees and coffee plants: Shade trees like mango and jackfruit protect coffee plants from harsh sunlight (benefiting coffee quality) while the farmers can sell the fruit from these trees (additional income — mutual benefit). 2. Composting and soil: Organic waste is used to enrich the soil, which nourishes the plants, which produce better coffee, which funds more sustainable farming — a self-reinforcing cycle where each element benefits the others.
Q4 Would you say the story of Araku Coffee offers a model for development in India? Justify your answer with evidence from the passage. L5 Evaluate
Yes, the Araku Coffee model is an inspiring template for development for several reasons: (1) It involves tribal communities as owners, not mere labourers, ensuring equitable benefit-sharing; (2) it uses sustainable, bio-dynamic methods that protect the environment; (3) it turned a colonial-era crop into a globally recognised brand, demonstrating value-addition; (4) it works at scale — 517 villages — proving the model is replicable. It shows that development doesn't have to mean displacing communities; instead, it can empower them through their own natural resources. (90–110 words)
Writing Tasks
Writing Task 1 — Train Journey Account
Using the expressions from the Parsi passage — length and breadth, chugged into, vouch for, long gone, out came the treats — write an account of a journey by train. Include details of distance, ticket booking, facilities, and suggestions for improvement.
Structure Guide — Travel Account (200–250 words)
Opening (30 words): Set the scene — where, when, and with whom you travelled. Use one of the five expressions.
Journey Description (80 words): Describe the route (length and breadth?), the arrival (chugged into?), the food or treats (out came?). Weave the expressions naturally.
Observations (60 words): What facilities were available? What was impressive? What reminded you of something long gone?
Suggestions (50 words): Two or three improvements — cleanliness, food quality, accessibility, Wi-Fi, etc. — with brief reasons.
Closing (30 words): Reflection — what would you vouch for about this journey?
Sample Travel Account — The Rajdhani to Delhi
It was a journey that took us the length and breadth of peninsular India — from the bustling platforms of Chennai Central to the fog-wrapped lanes of New Delhi. As the Rajdhani Express finally chugged into Hazrat Nizamuddin station, bleary-eyed but content, I could vouch for one thing: no mode of travel connects India quite like the train.I had booked tickets online three weeks in advance — a habit that passengers of the older generation might consider a tradition long gone. They would queue for hours at booking counters! As dinner was served, out came the treats: rajma chawal, papad, and a small dessert — modest, but deeply Indian.
The train offered clean AC coaches, punctual meal service, and charging points at every berth. However, the bio-toilets needed more frequent cleaning, and the Wi-Fi connectivity was unreliable after Bhopal.
I would suggest Indian Railways invest more in food quality improvement (more regional options), better accessibility for elderly passengers (wider doorways), and real-time crowd monitoring in second-class coaches. India's railways are its lifeline — a symbol of unity that traverses the length and breadth of our diverse nation. With small improvements, the journey can become extraordinary.
Writing Task 2 — Advertisement for Tea or Coffee
Write an advertisement for your favourite tea or coffee. Your advertisement should be creative, informative, and persuasive.
Advertisement Format (80–100 words)
Headline: Catchy, bold, memorable (5–7 words)
Tagline: Short, rhythmic (3–5 words) — should stay in mind
Body Copy: Product USP, origin, taste, health benefits (40–50 words)
Call to Action: "Try it today", "Order now", "Available at..." (10–15 words)
Sample: Araku Gold — Premium Tribal Coffee
ARAKU GOLD — From the Forests of Andhra Pradesh to Your CupTagline: "Every sip, a story."
Grown by 10,986 tribal farmers across 517 villages, Araku Gold is India's first bio-dynamic, single-origin coffee — cultivated in the shadow of mango and jackfruit trees, enriched by centuries-old composting traditions. No chemicals. No compromise. Just pure, rich, aromatic excellence at 1,200 metres above sea level.
Its gentle, earthy sweetness lingers long after the last sip — just as a great story should.
Now available at select premium stores and online. Order at araku.co.in | ₹850 for 250g
Writing Task 3 — Kashmiri Breads Collage Notes
You have read about traditional breads in Kashmir. Organise this information as a collage with brief notes about each bread. Here is a ready reference for the six Kashmiri breads mentioned in the workbook.
Tsot-Girda
A medium-sized, round everyday bread — a staple on every Kashmiri breakfast table. Soft, warm, and freshly baked each morning.
Lavasa
A puffy, flat bread made from refined flour (maida). Light and airy, it pairs well with Kashmiri curries or just a cup of nun chai.
Tsochwor / Tilvor
A bagel-shaped, slightly hard bread sprinkled with sesame seeds. Prepared at noon to be enjoyed with the traditional afternoon tea.
Kulcha
Crispy, palm-sized breads sprinkled with poppy seeds — available in sweet (mith) and savoury (namkeen) versions. Served with Dodh Kehva (milk tea).
Sheermal
A mildly sweet, soft bread with a slightly golden crust — somewhere between bread and cake in texture. Rich and aromatic.
Roath
A sweet, cake-like bread baked in a traditional tandoor and topped with dry fruits. Reserved for grand occasions: weddings, births, engagements. Served with Kehva.
For your collage, organise notes as follows:
Theme: "The Kandur Waan — Kashmir's Bread Culture"
Introduction sentence: In Kashmir, the Kandur (traditional baker) is not just a bread-seller; his shop (Kandur waan) is the social hub of the neighbourhood — a place of gossip, news, and cultural exchange over freshly baked bread and piping hot, salty pink nun chai.
Cross-India connections: Just as Goa has its baker with the bamboo staff announcing the morning round, Kashmir has the Kandur whose daily ritual marks the rhythm of life. Both traditions remind us that bread — in all its forms — is more than food; it is community.
Suggestions for collage visuals: Draw or print images of each bread shape alongside its name and a one-line description. Add a map showing Kashmir and label the baker's route through a morning market scene.
Theme: "The Kandur Waan — Kashmir's Bread Culture"
Introduction sentence: In Kashmir, the Kandur (traditional baker) is not just a bread-seller; his shop (Kandur waan) is the social hub of the neighbourhood — a place of gossip, news, and cultural exchange over freshly baked bread and piping hot, salty pink nun chai.
Cross-India connections: Just as Goa has its baker with the bamboo staff announcing the morning round, Kashmir has the Kandur whose daily ritual marks the rhythm of life. Both traditions remind us that bread — in all its forms — is more than food; it is community.
Suggestions for collage visuals: Draw or print images of each bread shape alongside its name and a one-line description. Add a map showing Kashmir and label the baker's route through a morning market scene.
FAQ
What is Unit 5 – Glimpses of India about?
Unit 5 – Glimpses of India is a lesson from the NCERT English textbook covering important literary and language concepts with vocabulary, literary devices, and exercises.
What vocabulary is in Unit 5 – Glimpses of India?
Key vocabulary words from Unit 5 – Glimpses of India are highlighted with contextual meanings and usage examples throughout the lesson.
What literary devices are in Unit 5 – Glimpses of India?
Unit 5 – Glimpses of India uses various literary devices including imagery, symbolism, and figurative language identified with coloured tags.
What exercises are in Unit 5 – Glimpses of India?
Exercises include extract-based comprehension questions, grammar workshops, vocabulary activities, and writing tasks with model answers.
How does Unit 5 – Glimpses of India help exam prep?
Unit 5 – Glimpses of India includes CBSE-format questions and model answers following Bloom's Taxonomy levels L1-L6.
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