Prasanna

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 5 The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role. Students can get Class 11 English The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 5

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Understanding the text

Question 1.
Locate the lines in the text that support the title ‘The Ailing Planet’.
Answer:
(a) “The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.”
(b) a new awareness has now dawned upon the most dangerous animal (man) in the world.”
(c) “Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment?”
(d) “.. .In large areas of the world, human claims on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired.”
(e) “When this happens, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorate.”
(f) “…several species of life face extinction as a result of its destruction.”
(g) “It has been well said that forests precede mankind; deserts follow.”
(h) “The world’s ancient patrimony of tropical forests is now eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres a year, and the growing use of dung for burning deprives the soil of an important natural fertiliser.”
(i) “The World Bank estimates that a five-fold increase in the rate of forest planting is needed to cope with the expected fuel wood demand.” “….We were saying that we are losing the forests at an acre a second, but it is much closer to an acre-and-a-half to a second.”
(j) “.. .highlighted the near catastrophic depletion of India’s forests over the last four decades.”
(k) “India, according to reliable data, is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year.. .The actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics.”
(l) “A three-year study warns that the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty- eight countries investigated.”
(m) “For the first time in human history we see a transcending concern—the survival not just of the people but of the planet.”
(n) “The environmental problem does not necessarily signal our demise, it is our passport for the future.”

Question  2.
What does the notice ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’ at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
Answer:
In the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, outside a cage there is a notice that reads, “The world’s most dangerous animal.” Inside the cage there is no animal but a mirror where one can see oneself. It is an endeavour to make humans realise how destructive they are. They are the cause of the destruction of thousands of species. We have done this by destroying their habitats. This is an attempt to make human beings introspect about their destructive deeds. It is an attempt to help us realise the wisdom of shifting from a system based on domination to one based on partnership.

Question  3.
How are the earth’s principal biological systems being depleted?
Answer:
Mr Lester R. Brown in his book, The Global Economic Prospect, points out that the earth’s four principal biological systems fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands form the foundation of the global economic system. In addition to supplying our food, these four systems provide virtually all the raw materials for industry.

Human claims on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired. As a result, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands are converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorate. Since tropical forests are, in the words of Dr Myers, “the powerhouses of evolution”, several species of life face extinction as a result of their destruction.

Question 4.
Why does the author aver that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Answer:
Growing population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society. A three-year study using satellites and aerial photography conducted by the United Nations, warns that the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty-eight countries investigated. India is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. The actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Talking about the text

Discuss in groups of four.

Question 1.
Laws are never respected nor enforced in India.
Answer:
Article 48 A of the Constitution of India makes available that “the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country”. But the cause of unending distress is the fact that laws are never respected nor imposed in India.

For example, the Constitution says that “casteism, untouchabitity and bonded labour” shall be eradicated, but this has not happened even after several years of the functioning of the Constitution. A recent report of our Parliament’s Estimates Committee has highlighted the appalling exhaustion of India’s forests over the last four decades. India is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year but the actual loss of forests is likely to be about eight times more than this, despite laws.

Question 2.
“Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment?”
Answer:
The earth’s four principal biological systems fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands form the foundation of the global economic system. In large areas of the world, human claims on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level, a point where their productivity is being impaired. According to Dr Myres, the tropical forests that are the powerhouses of evolution, as they house innumerable species, are facing extinction.

It has been said that forests pave the way for man’s survival while deserts come after the annihilation of life. The world’s tropical forests are now wearing away at the rate of forty to fifty million acres a year. Expressing his concern, Mr L.K. Jha, raised this question in the first Brandt report. He felt it was unfair to leave for our future generations a seared planet with a growing number of deserts, a landscape deprived of nutrients and natural beauty.

Question 3.
“We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children”.
Answer:
For the first time in human history we see an excessive worry about the survival not just of the people but also of the planet. We have begun to take a holistic view of the very passport for the future. The emerging new world vision has ushered in the Era of Responsibility. It is a holistic view, an ecological view, seeing the world is not something to be exploited for our good but as an inheritance to be preserved for future generations.

Question 4.
The problems of overpopulation that directly affect our everyday life.
Answer:
Growing population is the main factor changing the future of human society. In 1800, the population was merely one billion. Another billion was added to it by 1900. By the twentieth century the population increased by another 3.7 billion. The present world population is estimated at 5.7 billion.

Every four days, the world population increases by one million. Controlling the population growth will improve our general health. Moreover, development may not be possible if increase in numbers continues. The rich get richer, and the poor produce children, which is the cause of their poverty. It adds to the number of unemployed persons. If this is not checked, the poor will die of starvation.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Thinking about language

The phrase ‘inter alia’ meaning ‘among other things’ is one of the many Latin expressions commonly used in English.
Find out what these Latin phrases mean.

• prima facie – at first glance
• ad hoc – done for a particular purpose and not planned in advance
• in camera – in private; in a closed court
• ad infinitum – endlessly
• mutatis mutandis – including necessary changes
• caveat – warning or proviso; request to court
• tabula rasa – mind prior to experience; chance to start afresh

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Working with words

I. Locate the following phrases in the text and study their connotation.

• gripped the imagination of – captured someone’s interest
• dawned upon – became apparent
• ushered in – heralded or introduced something
• passed into current coin – invent or devise a word or phrase that is used in the present
• passport of the future – authorisation to take us to a brighter future

II. The words ‘grip’, ‘dawn’, ‘usher’, ‘coin’, ‘passport’ have a literal as well as a figurative meaning. Write pairs of sentences using each word in the literal as well as the figurative sense.

1. grip: The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand.

• She would not loosen her grip on my arm.
• The suspense in the film held me in grip throughout the two hours.
• I found the book so gripping that I couldn’t put it down.
• The intruder turned towards me and I was suddenly gripped by fear.
• Rebels have tightened their grip on the city.
• I have packed a day’s change of clothing in the grip.

2. dawn:

• They walked all night and reached the village at dawn.
• Gradually the truth about him dawned on us.

3. usher:

• She ushered us into her office and offered us coffee.
• The new legislation should usher in a host of new opportunities for school leavers
• He works as an usher

4. coin:

• I asked for ten pounds in 20p coins.
• Allen Ginsberg coined the term ‘flower power’.

5. passport:

• Many refugees have arrived at the border without passports.
• Many students opt for business studies simply because it sounds like a passport to
  a good job.
• Beauty alone can be a passport to success.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Things to do

1. Make posters to highlight the importance of the Green Movement.
2. Maintain a record of the trees cut down and the parks demolished in your area, or any other act that violates the environment. Write to newspapers reporting on any such acts that disturb you.

32/4, Mehrauli, New Delhi
12 February 20XX
The Editor
Navyug Times
Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-1
Subject: Malls trampling Delhi’s green belt
Dear Sir,

Part of the Aravalli range, the Delhi Ridge, is an icon of greenery and part of the capital’s heritage. But over the years, much of the Ridge has disappeared, with the most recent threat coming from swanky hotels and malls.

The Ridge is home to many endemic plant species and still remains an important visiting stop to many migratory birds as they journey onwards to other parts of the subcontinent. Moreover, it cools the hot winds from the deserts of the neighbouring state of Rajasthan before they reach the city and stashes away welcome raindrops to boost dipping groundwater levels.But over the years, much of the Ridge has disappeared under the brick and mortar that now define most Indian cities.

A worst-case scenario is on display in the Ridge area in Vasant Vihar, where trees are being cut down to build swanky hotels and malls. Such expansion that puts more soil under cement and replaces forested areas with concrete is profoundly altering the environmental landscape. The health of our natural endowments has now become the source of much anxiety and consternation amongst the residents of the area.

We remain unclear as to both the quality and the quantity of our ecological footprint and whether we have taken actions that will lead to negative short-term and long-term environmental consequences. It is essential to halt this march towards destruction of the Ridge. The Ridge forest is protected under the master plan and must remain so. Residents must actively protest against this degradation of their environment.

Yours sincerely,
(Name …)

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level. Students can get Class 12 English The Third Level NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

The Third Level NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1

The Third Level NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Third Level Reading with insight

Question 1.
What does the third level refer to?
Answer:
The third level is the world somewhere between desire or dream and reality. It is a world of fantasy that we create for ourselves and occasionally seek to escape to. Most of the time it is a picture of the simple past of our forefathers, who, we believe were happier. It is an escapist’s world which one weaves around to be off the current-day problems, worries, anxieties and tensions.

Question 2.
Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Answer:
Time travel is a temporary relief that man seeks to escape from the rush of his present existence. It was a world of fantasy that Charley too had created. So, he exchanged all his savings for 1894 currency to buy tickets from the third level to Galesburg, Illinois. However, he could not find the third level again as it did not exist.

The Third Level Reading With Insight

Question 1.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer:
Life today is full of insecurity, fear and worries and time travel is man’s way of escaping from it. Occasionally, man seeks escape into the world of fantasy and his nostalgic memories, the happier • times of the past. Yes, the third level was Charley’s medium of escape from the mad rat race of modern times.

Question 2.
What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
Sam’s letter shows man’s pining for the simple, less harassing and a happier era. He too had found respite from the hurry and worry of modern life in time travel. Sam had learnt to transport himself into the time period of his ancestors whose quality of life he considered was better than their present existence.

Question 3.
The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer:
Man often creates in his fantasy a world which is somewhere between his desire and reality, and often seeks respite by transporting himself to it mentally. Time travel is another way of overcoming stress; we travel back in time to the past which we believe was a quieter and happier era. Nostalgic memories too are often a way of escape from the harassing present.

Question 4.
Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Answer:
Yes, the story clearly shows an intersection of time and space. Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were located in the present time while the third level existed in the 1890s. Secondly Charley and his wife, Louisa, live in the present time yet Charley goes to get old currency to buy tickets to go to the Galesburg of 1894. The old architecture of the platform at the third level is different from the platform of the modern times. The archaic manner of dressing by the people and the newspaper, The World, dated June 11, 1894 also overlap with Charley’s real time world and existence. Finally, the letter that was mailed to Charley’s Grandfather on 18 July, 1894 highlights the intersection of time and space.

Question 5.
Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
Answer:
It is true that apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection. A good number of scientific inventions sounded ridiculous and absurd till some brilliant minds gave them a concrete shape. Before the Wright Brothers invented the first aeroplane, nobody could have dared to believe that man could fly. There are many other examples of inventions which were conceived in dreams but now are part of our everyday reality. All this emphasizes that fantasies of one point of time that seem illogical may turn out to be revolutionary things that change the future of the mankind. It would not be far-fetched to think about railway stations fitted with time-machine devices from one era to another. It is just a matter of time.

Question 6.
Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Answer:
Besides philately, there are numerous other ways to keep the past alive. Collecting historical artefacts, paintings and statues in a museum, collecting and reading books, collecting stamps, first day covers, etc. are all a few ways of revisiting history.

Fond memories of the past are often kept alive through photographic collections, letters, etc. Man seeks refuge in the nostalgic memories, the happier times of the past. He transports himself to the world by travelling through time to escape the present. In fact, he is constantly moving between past for escape, and present and future.

This capacity to oscillate between the past, present and future is a great intellectual gift. This human tendency enables him to plan for the future in the present by reaping benefits from the past. Such a tendency helps in ensuring acceptance of the impact of important decisions taken at any point of time and learning from them.

Question 7.
You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
Answer:
In ‘Adventure’ Jayant Narlikar expressed that many worlds exist simultaneously though they appear to be separated by time. He conveyed that the other world also existed and prospered with the world we are aware of.

In The Third Level, Charley, a young New York commuter wandering Grand Central Station by accident, finds a gateway that leads to the past of 1894. Charley attempts to escape the rat race by buying a one way ticket to his childhood town of Galesburg, Illinois. But circumstances forced him to postpone his plan to escape to the past.

The Third Level Extra Questions and Answers

The Third Level Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How does the narrator describe himself? What made him take the subway from Grand Central?
Answer:
The narrator describes that he is Charley, 31. He is wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. One night last summer, he worked late at the office. So, he was in a hurry to be at his apartment. He took the subway from Grand Central because it was faster than the bus.

Question 2.
How does the narrator describe the first two levels of the Grand Central?
Answer:
The narrator went down the steps of the Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue to the first level. From there one can take trains like the twentieth century. Then he walked down another flight to the second level. From there the suburban trains leave for various destinations.

Question 3.
The narrator got lost once when he ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway. Where did he come out?
Answer:
The narrator says that he has been in and out of Grand Central hundreds of times. He always bumps into new doorways, stairs and corridors. Once he got into a one-mile-long tunnel and came out in the Roosevelt Hotel lobby. Another time he came up in an office building on Forty-sixth street, three blocks away.

Question 4.
What does the narrator think of Grand Central? What does it symbolize?
Answer:
The narrator thinks that Grand Central is growing like a tree. It pushes out new corridors and staircases like roots. There are long tunnels under the city on their ways to Times Square and to Central Park.
The Grand Central symbolizes the labyrinth that this world is with its intricate and tangled pathways. It has always been an exit, a way to escape.

Question 5.
What strange things did the narrator see when he reached the third level of Grand Central?
Answer:
Charley noticed a difference in the way things looked at the third level of the Grand Central Station. It was smaller, with fewer ticket counters and had an old look of the 1890s with wooden booths, dim open-flame gaslights, brass spittoons and an old-style locomotive with a funnel shaped stack. Even the people’s attire was old fashioned and men had funny handle-bar mustaches and sideburns. The whole setting was in contrast to the modern times.

Question 6.
How did the man on the third level appear to the narrator?
Answer:
The narrator saw a man pulling a gold watch from his vest pocket. He snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch and frowned. He wore a derby hat, a black four-button suit with tiny lapels and had a big, black handlebar mustache.

Question 7.
What did the narrator do to make sure that he was actually at the third level of Grand Central?
Answer:
The narrator walked over to a news boy. He glanced at the stack of newspapers. It was The World and The World had not been published for years. The lead story was about President Cleveland. Later on, he confirmed from the public library files that the newspaper was dated 11th June 1894.

Question 8.
Why did the narrator turn towards the ticket windows? Why did he run back from there?
Answer:
The narrator turned towards the ticket window to buy tickets to go to Galesburg, Illinois, in the year of 1894. When Charley produced money to pay for the two tickets, the clerk stared at him as the currency did not match with the currency of that time. He accused him of trying to cheat him and threatened to hand him over to the police. The narrator turned away thinking that there was nothing nice about jail even in 1894.

Question 9.
How does the narrator describe Galesburg, Illinois?
Answer:
The narrator states that Galesburg, Illinois, is a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge lawns and big trees. Summer evenings were twice as long. People sat out on their lawns, the men smoking cigar and talking quietly, the women waving palm-leaf fans. It means the people had lived in peace and harmony and had a lot of leisure time.

Question 10.
What did the narrator do the next day?
Answer:
The narrator withdrew his entire money from the bank. He bought old-style currency to buy two tickets to Galesburg. He got less than two hundred old-style bills for his three hundred dollars. He consoled himself for having got less money by the fact that life in 1894 Galesburg was quite cheaper as compared to the modern life.

Question 11.
How does the narrator’s psychiatrist friend react to the narrator’s statement that the third level exists?
Answer:
The narrator’s psychiatrist friend, Sam Weiner, says it is ‘a waking-dream-wish fulfilment’. He says that the narrator is unhappy and the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war and worry. So, he wants to escape and has created an imaginary third level.

Question 12.
How did Louisa react when the narrator told his wish to go to the third level to buy tickets?
Answer:
When the narrator told Louisa about his wish she got pretty worried. She was a loving and a caring wife. She got alarmed at Charley’s claim of having been to the third level. His exchanging the currency was a cause of concern. She thought the third level to be a product of Charley’s imagination and asked him to stop looking for it. However, after some time they both started looking for the third level.

Question 13.
Why was going to the psychiatrist the obvious step? Did it help?
Answer:
Charley was convinced that there were three and not just two levels at the Grand Central Station, when all others claimed there were only two. Going to the psychiatrist was the obvious step because he wanted his opinion on whether it was insanity on his part to believe so. The psychiatrist too interpreted his delusion as a waking-dream wish fulfilment and, like his stamp collection, a temporary refuge from a world full of tensions, worries, insecurity, fear, war and envy.

Question 14.
Why could Charley not be convinced by his distractions that the third level was only a wish fulfilment?
Answer:
Charley could not be convinced that the third level was a temporary escape from reality through fantasy like stamp collection. He argued that his grandfather too was into stamp collection and he started Charley’s collection. He said that at that time people were content and lived in peaceful times and did not need to seek such refuge.

Question 15.
What happened to the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner? What do you deduce from it?
Answer:
One day the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner disappeared. He was a city boy. He always
said that he liked Galesburg very much and its sound. From this I deduce that even Sam was affected by the stress of modern living and sought temporary refuge by travelling through time.

Question 16.
Why was Charley sure that his psychiatrist friend had gone back to the year 1894 in Galesburg?
Answer:
Charley’s psychiatrist friend Sam had disappeared. One night going through his first-day covers,
Charley found one dated 1894 and with his Grandfather’s address on it. He opened and found inside a letter from Sam addressed to him. He invited him to the third level saying that it was worth it.

Question 17.
What is the first-day cover?
Answer:
At that time when a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some of them and use them in order to mail envelopes to themselves and the postmark proves the date. That envelope is called the first- day cover.

Question 18.
Describe the first-day cover envelope that the narrator found among his collection.
Answer:
The first-day cover envelope was dated July 18, 1894. It was addressed to his grandfather in Galesburg. It carried a letter from Sam addressed to Charley. The stamp was a six-cent, dull brown, with a picture of President Garfield.

Question 19.
What had Sam Weiner written on the paper in the first-day cover?
Answer:
Sam Weiner had invited the narrator to the third level. It was worth it. It added that it was true, there existed the third level and he had found that. He had been there for two weeks. He could hear someone playing a piano, down the street. They were singing ‘Seeing Nelly Home’.

Question 20.
What did the narrator find about Sam Weiner when he went to the stamp and coin store?
Answer:
When the narrator went to the stamp and coin store he came to know that Sam had bought eight hundred dollars worth of old currency. That ought to set him up in a nice little hay, feed and grain business. He always wanted to do that. He didn’t want to go back to his old business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894, Charley felt that the services of a psychiatrist would not be needed in Galesburg of 1894, his friend would be jobless there.

Question 21.
What is the evidence that Charley often sought escape through time travel?
Answer:
Charley had often bumped into new doorways, archways and stairways at the Grand Central and got lost. Once he had got into a long tunnel, about a mile long, and another time had landed in an office building on the Forty-sixth street, three blocks away. This makes it evident that Charley, often sought escape through wishful dreaming and in nostalgic memories. He often lived in a world of fantasy.

Question 22.
Discuss the irony at the end of the chapter.
Answer:
Charley had found the third level and desired to go back to the Galesburg of 1894. It is ironical that at the end, not Charley but his psychiatrist friend who had scorned his discovery, uses the third level to reach Galesburg of 1894 and tells Charley to keep looking for it.

The Third Level Long Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the third level as a science fantasy?
Answer:
Science makes the impossible possible by giving a touch of realism to things that simply cannot happen in the real world under any circumstances. It explains a person’s perceptions, his difficulties and circumstances. Science fantasy has an aura of magic. In the lesson ‘The Third Level’ Charley’s fantasies are magical. He travels through time to Galesburg of 1894, the world of his childhood. He is stressed out by his modern living and takes refuge in his nostalgic memories, and at times he loses touch with reality. Such time travel is an essential element of all scientific fantasy.

Question 2.
Finney manages to not only capture the reader’s imagination, but also provides a clear example of time travel that does not confuse the reader. Discuss.
Answer:
‘The Third Level’ is a well-defined and convincing description of time travel. It can be divided into modern world and the world of the 1890s, the world of Grand Central Station of New York and the past world of Galesburg, Illinois. The narrator talks of the present world of 21st century through the references of New York Central, New York, New Haven, Hartford of Galesburg, Illinois of the 1890s in clearer terms. His visit to the third level of Grand Central and the physical description of this symbolize a flashback of the 19th century. So, the writer takes the reader in both the eras with care without confusing them. Thus, the third level is a beautiful interpretation of things through what, we call ‘the catastrophe theory’ as given in ‘The Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar.

Question 3.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer:
The torture of stress, sense of insecurity and fear have made man an escapist who wants to run away from reality. He looks for a temporary refuge and starts pursuing different hobbies to divert his attention temporarily and give himself some comfort. The fast pace life has made Charley uneasy and restless. He yearned for peace and tranquillity. He turned to philately but could not find much relief. His efforts for escape resulted in his flight to the third level—a level of existence which he associated with tranquillity. His psychiatrist friend Sam, diagnosed Charley’s claim as a waking- dream wish fulfilment. Hence, the third level undoubtedly is a medium of escape for Charley.

Question 4.
What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
Sam’s letter is a proof of his having reached the third level and of having been transported to Galesburg of 1894. The date 18th July 1894 and the content of the letter indicate that he too yearned for such an escape. Being equally insecure, he started believing in the existence of the third level and eventually found it. Galesburg always fascinated him with ample leisure and innocent happiness. He suggested to Charley and Louisa to keep on looking for it till they come across it. Sam’s letter also indicates the social life of Galesburg where people loved music, dance and socializing. But we are not sure that Sam’s letter is a mere figment of Charley’s imagination just like the third level or has he really transported to Galesburg of 1894. So, the whole idea of travel in time and multiple levels of reality is mind-boggling and so is Sam’s letter indeed.

Question 5.
The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry, tension and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer:
There is no doubt that the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry, tension, stress, anxiety and what not. Strangely, there is no escape from these things, yet people devise, find and invest different ways to escape from them. Some like liquor, some tranquillizers, some sleeping pills, some consult saints or seers or psychiatrists. Some daydream or listen to music or visit night parties or browse the Internet and fall down to tiredness and sleep. They awake to another day of tension and . anxiety. People like the narrator invent an imaginary world around them and get lost in it for the time being. But such a life is not for all the persons. It is for those who are a sensitive mind and look at life in a thoughtful manner, albeit, very seriously.

Question 6.
Did Sam really go to Galesburg or was it Charley’s figment of imagination?
Answer:
The third level at the Grand Central symbolizes man’s yearning to attain an ideal level of existence which is free from wars, worries, insecurities, tensions and a level which exudes calm, peace and tranquillity. Charley imagined this world briefly but could never get back to that world. His craving for such a world forced him to imagine things. He imagined that his psychiatrist friend, Sam, had succeeded in reaching there. He even saw a letter from Sam in his first-day cover collection. It was dated July 18, 1894 and posted to his grandfather’s address in Galesburg, Illinois. After this he redoubled his efforts to search the third level.

If it is only the imagination of Charley, then how do you explain Sam’s exchanging of currency at the coin shop? The fact that Sam too lived in a world of fantasy makes us understand that time travel was one way of escape for the modern man.

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water. Students can get Class 12 English Deep Water NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

Deep Water NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3

Deep Water NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Deep Water Think as you read 

Question 1.
What was the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
William Douglas’ traumatic experience in the sea, as a child, made him afraid of water. However, as he was learning to swim in the YMCA pool, he was thrown into the deep end by an older boy. The experience terrified him as he had almost drowned and finally lost consciousness before being hauled out of the water.

Question 2.
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Answer:
When Douglas was thrown into water, he landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. He was frightened, but planned to jump, as his feet touched the bottom, and bounce to the surface, and paddle to the edge of the pool. His repeated failed attempts left him terrified and exhausted, till he slipped into unconscious and was pulled out of the pool. The author went from fear to exhaustion and finally submission. He showed courage when he planned to reach the surface, however the repeated attempts drained his strength and he was gripped by terror. He eventually gave up and felt resigned before losing consciousness.

Question 3.
How did this experience affect him?
Answer:
The writer’s experience of near drowning affected him greatly. He felt weak and trembled on his way back home from the pool. He spent many more days in unrest. He never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

Question 4.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water as he wished to get into the water of Cascades. He felt terrorised by the memories of the pool and regretted being deprived of the pleasures of fishing, canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Question 5.
How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Answer:
The instructor put a belt around Douglas to which a rope was attached. The rope went through a pulley fixed on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and made Douglas swim for weeks. Three months later, he taught Douglas to exhale under water, and to raise his nose and inhale, and made him overcome his fear of putting his head under water. Next, the instructor held him at the side of the pool and made him kick with his legs. Gradually, after weeks of practice, his legs relaxed. When Douglas had perfected each hurdle, the instructed coordinated his efforts and gradually built a swimmer out of Douglas.

Question 6.
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer:
To make sure he had conquered fear, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived in and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Only once when he was in the middle of the lake, did the terror return. But he confronted it and swam on. He also swam across Warm Lake to the other shore and back, to make sure that he had conquered his fear of water.

Deep Water Understanding the text

Question 1.
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
Douglas was pushed into the deep end of the YMCA swimming pool by a strong boy. He landed up in sitting position, swallowing water. He was frightened, but as he was going down to the bottom of the pool, he decided to make a big jump when his feet would hit the bottom of the pool, come up to the surface, lie flat, and paddle to the edge. But his fall seemed unending. The nine feet felt ninety to the little boy, and before his feet touched the bottom, his lungs were ready to burst.

As soon as his feet hit the bottom, he gathered all his strength and tried to spring upwards. Unlike what he had foreseen, he came up slowly. On opening his eyes, he saw nothing but water; he was terrified. There was nothing to hold on to and he felt suffocated. He tried to scream but no sound came. His eyes and nose came out of the water but his mouth was still under the surface. He thrashed at the surface of the water, but merely swallowed more water and choked. When he tried to bring his legs up, they hung like dead weights, refusing to move. He was pulled under water and once again he felt himself sinking back to the bottom of the pool. Breathless, he hit at the water with all his strength. His lungs and head ached and he began to feel dizzy.

He decided to jump when he hit the bottom. However it made no difference. He groped around for something and felt even more terrorized, with his limbs refusing to move. He finally gave up—his legs felt limp and blackness swept his brain. He felt neither anxiety nor fear. On the contrary, he felt quiet and peaceful, but drowsy, and was finally oblivious of everything around him. The writer makes the description vivid by giving graphic details of the situation and of his fear.

Question 2.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas overcame his fear of water through sheer determination. The experience he had, as a child of three or four, had left an indelible imprint on his mind. This was aggravated by the experience that he had when he was thrown into the pool. This made him stay away from water for many years. Later when he attempted to overcome his fear, his instructor taught him to swim, yet he felt terror-stricken when alone in the pool. He swam tirelessly up and down the length of the pool but he was not sure that the fear had left.

So he went to Lake Wentworth, in New Hampshire, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Only once did he feel afraid, when he was in the middle of the lake, but he confronted it and swam on. To ascertain if he had overcome his fear completely, he went up to Meade Glacier, and swam across the Warm Lake. This assured him that he had accomplished his desire to overcome his fear of water.

Question 3.
Why does Douglas, as an adult, recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
Douglas, as an adult, recounts his childhood experience of terror and how he conquered it. He recalled his ordeal as a child about how he almost drowned in a swimming pool. He narrated his journey, under his trainer, where he learnt to swim and finally how he swims across Warm Lake. The account does not attempt to glorify his accomplishment as a swimmer, but celebrates his efforts of conquering his fear of water.

The writer shares with his readers how the experience held a deep significance for him. He writes that he had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror it produces. He came to realize the value of life through this incident. The account also sheds light on his take on adventure. Adventure calls on all the faculties of the mind and the spirit. It develops self-reliance and independence. Adventure is, however, enjoyed when one is rid of fear. Fear cripples an individual and limits one’s scope. One stays tethered by strings of doubt and indecision and has only a small and narrow world to explore. Douglas shared his experience as a useful lesson and called upon his readers to conquer their fears.

Deep Water Talking about the text

Question 1.
“All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Share your experience with others in the class.
Answer:
Answers will vary.

Question 2.
Find and narrate other stories about the conquest of fear and what people have said about courage. For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela’s struggle for freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed, and the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography. The story “We’re Not Afraid To Die”, which you have read in Class XI, is an apt example of how courage and optimism helped a family survive under dire stress.
Answer:
She could easily be called the Helen Keller of our times. The darkness that surrounds her life has not prevented Bibi Mohammadi from spreading the light of education. At twenty six, Bibi, whose lower limbs are paralysed teaches more than 300 students at her school in Nathnagar, Bhagalpur.

Born in a poor family of weavers, Bibi cleared her intermediate examination—an achievement, considering that her six siblings failed. But, her achievement has not come easy. At school, she was the laughing stock and when other children jumped and ran about, she could only watch. In 1983, while she was still studying, she decided to start a school of her own with around 50 students. Now she teaches over 300 children in three shifts.

Keeping in view the poor economic condition of her locality, she charges a nominal fee of Rs 10 from each student. Interestingly, she is the lone teacher and manages all the classes single-handedly. With slippers in her hands, she crawls from one comer to the other of the dingy, thatched-roof classroom. What keeps her going are words of inspiration from Qari Saheb, the Imam of the Nathnagar mosque. He told her to continue with her education so that by teaching children she could become financially independent and not feel handicapped. Many such stories of Gandhi’s freedom straggle, Martin Luther King, and various everyday examples continue to inspire us.

Deep Water Extra Questions and Answers

Deep Water Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Douglas’s first experience in water was not a happy incident. Why?
Answer:
Douglas’s first experience in water was very unhappy. It left an indelible imprint on his young mind. As a three or four-year-old, his father took him to the beach in California. As they were surfing, the waves pushed him down and swept over him. He felt buried in water and felt suffocated and frightened. All he could recall later was clinging to his father out of fear. The terror caused by the force of the waves resulted in fear and insecurity that he associated with water.

Question 2.
What were the writer’s complexes that he needed to overcome in order to learn swimming at the YMCA?
Answer:
The writer had developed a fear of water at an early age that was associated with the bitter memory of the Yakima River. He had gone surfing and had almost drowned in the river. Secondly, he hated walking naked into the pool with his bare skinny legs. To overcome this complex, he had to hold back his pride.

Question 3.
What was the writer’s misadventure in the pool at YMCA?
Answer:
The writer was still battling with his complexes in order to learn swimming when another misadventure befell him. He was sitting on the poolside waiting for others when a boy of about eighteen years old came up to him and asked him if he wanted to be “ducked”. Before the writer could react, the older boy picked him up and tossed him into the deep end of the pool.

Question 4.
Douglas had planned on coming out of the pool. Why did his plan fail him?
Answer:
When Douglas was pushed into the pool of water, he planned to jump to the surface and paddle to the edge of the pool. But before he touched bottom, he felt that his lungs were ready to burst. He tried to spring up, but came up slowly. He could see and feel nothing but water. He was too suffocated to scream for help as his mouth did not surface out of the water. As fear gripped him and his legs seemed paralyzed. His attempts to shoot up were thwarted and before he knew he was sinking back to the bottom.

Question 5.
How did Douglas feel when he sank into water the second time?
Answer:
Douglas was petrified of water and the fear worsened when he could not rise to the surface of water. His first attempt to rise was thwarted and he sank back to the bottom. He attempted again but felt a force pulling him under water. He seemed to sink down endlessly. He tried to open his eyes but saw nothing but water with a yellow glow. Fear gripped him and he could not shout out.

Question 6.
Why did his second attempt to come out of water fail?
Answer:
Douglas’ second attempt to come out of water failed although he sprang from the bottom and came up like a cork to the surface. He planned to lie flat on the water and strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs. Keeping that in mind he decided to jump when he hit the bottom. However when he attempted to jump, it made no difference. His helplessness made him shiver with fright. His limbs refused to move as if he was paralyzed, he tried in vain to call for help.

Question 7.
Where did Douglas find himself when he regained his memory?
Answer:
When Douglas’ repeated attempts to come out of water failed, he felt drowsy and lost consciousness. His next memory was of being carried. He got the feeling of floating in space and also felt tender arms lulling him to sleep.On regaining his consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool on his stomach and vomiting. He recalled that the boy who threw him claimed that he was “only fooling”. He vividly heard someone giving instructions to carry him to the locker room.

Question 8.
How did the drowning experience affect Douglas?
Answer:
After the drowning experience, Douglas felt weak and was trembling as he walked home. That night he shook and cried in bed and could not eat. A haunting fear gripped his heart for days the slightest exertion upset him, made him unsteady in the knees and sick to his stomach. The experience affected him so adversely that he started dreading the sight of water and avoided it.

Question 9.
When did Douglas try to go into water again after the pool episode? What was the outcome?
Answer:
A few years after the misadventure in the pool, Douglas learnt of the waters of the Cascades. He tried to wade across the Tieton. He even attempted bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks. But all his attempts reminded him of the terrifying experience in the pool, and he would get paralyzed with fear.

Question 10.
How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Answer:
The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas gradually. First he put a belt around him to which a rope was attached. The rope was hung through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He went into water holding on to one end of the rope. Three months later, the instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water. He also taught him to raise his head and inhale. The instructor taught him next to put his legs to use. With practice, he learned to coordinate his efforts and learnt to swim.

Question 11.
The instructor was satisfied but not the writer. Why?
Answer:
The instructor was satisfied with Douglas’ progress, but Douglas was still apprehensive about facing his fears alone. Although after about six months of training, the instructor felt he had succeeded in teaching Douglas the technique, Douglas felt differently. He wondered how he would react when alone in water. He, thus, attempted to swim alone but his old terror kept coming back. He decided to practise some more to overcome the fear.

Question 12.
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer:
To conquer his old terror of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire and swam for two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He felt the old terror return but he confronted it and swam on. He practised the crawl, the breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Then he swam across Warm Lake to the other shore and back. It was only then that he was sure of having conquered his fear of water.

Question 13.
What was the biggest lesson that the writer learnt during his swimming lessons?
Answer:
The biggest lesson that the writer learnt during his swimming lessons was the need to conquer his fear.
He learnt that in death there was peace but in terror there was the fear of death alone. The writer endorsed Roosevelt’s views: “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Being free from terror was being released.

Deep Water Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Recount the experiences that made the writer terrified of water? How did he plan to overcome his fear?
Answer:
Two experiences made the writer terrified of water. As a child of three or four, he had gone with his father to a beach in California. They had been surfing and the waves knocked him down and swept over him.He remembered having felt buried in water and was gasping for breath. Later, when he was ten or eleven years old at the YMCA in Yakima, he was pushed into the pool by an older child. He had been saved from drowning but the experience had petrified him. The writer planned to overcome his fear by learning to swim in order to conquer his fear of water.

Question 2.
Why did Douglas’ second attempt to come out of the pool fail?
Answer:
Douglas’s second attempt to come out of the pool failed. As he sank to the bottom of the pool, the nine feet seemed like ninety. Before he touched the bottom of the pool, his lungs were ready to burst. Although Douglas mustered up all his strength and made a spring upwards, he came up slowly. On his way up, he saw nothing but dirty yellow water. He tried to latch on to something but he was surrounded by water. He felt suffocated and could not scream. As he reached up, his eyes and nose were out of the surface of water, but his mouth was still below the surface. His legs hung like dead weights and soon he sank back to the bottom of the pool.

Question 3.
When Douglas went down the third time, he could barely recall anything. What does he recall of the episode?
Answer:
When Douglas went down the third time, he remembered very little of it later. He saw nothing but dark water all around. It terrified him. Screams froze in his throat. He felt lifeless and the only sign of life was his beating heart and the pounding in his head. He was determined to push himself up when he hit the bottom but it made no difference.

He lost hope around that time. He shook and trembled with fright and his limbs were paralyzed. When he regained his consciousness next, he was lying on his stomach and vomiting. He overheard the boy who pushed him into the water claim that he was “only fooling.” Douglas also heard someone say that he had almost died. He was the carried into the locker room.

Question 4.
How did the instructor help Douglas learn swimming?
Answer:
Douglas’ instructor helped build him as into a swimmer. He did this bit by bit. Douglas practised with him five days a week, for an hour each day. Each day the instructor put a belt around his waist, attached to a rope that was strung through a pulley on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope as Douglas swam. Initially, each time the instructor relaxed his hold, the old terror returned.

However, after three months the tension began to ease. The instructor also taught him to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale till he had eventually learnt to put his head under water. His instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. The stiffness of the legs gradually relaxed and finally he could command a use over them. Thus piece by piece, the instructor built him into a swimmer.

Question 5.
Why was Douglas not satisfied even after the instructor finished his job of teaching him to swim? How did he help himself?
Answer:
The instructor was satisfied once Douglas learnt to swim. But Douglas still had his apprehensions. He wondered if he would be terror-stricken when was alone in the pool. He tried swimming the length of the pool but was still terrified. He went to Lake Went worth in New Hampshire and also dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island; in the middle of the lake, he put his face under water. Although he was scared, he swam on. It was when he dived into the Warm Lake and was . able to swim across that he shouted with joy at having conquered his fear of water.

Deep Water Value Based Question

Question 1.
Often, the key to the cause of a certain fear or phobia is the same as the key to conquering it. How does the story “Deep Water” justify this?
Answer:
Douglas, the narrator, had been scared of water as a boy. As a child, he was terrified of getting into water. In his attempt to overcome his fear, he tried to learn swimming. At YMCA, he was hurled into the deepest part of the pool by a big strong boy. He was almost drowned, and thereafter he lived a life of overwhelming fear of water. He was so petrified that the sight of water made him sick. Consequently he lost out on various water sports such as fishing or canoeing. He decided to overcome the constricting dread and with grit and determination, he found an instructor who trained him to swim, bit by bit. He successfully overcame his fear and felt liberated. He put his grit and determination to test. The experience of overcoming his fear of water was life-changing for the narrator.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 14 Ecosystem

These Solutions are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 14 Ecosystem

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks
(a) Plants are called as ___ because they fix carbon dioxide.
(b) In an ecosystem dominated by trees, the pyramid (of numbers) is ___ type.
(c) In aquatic ecosystem, the limiting factor for the productivity is ___
(d) Common detritivores in our ecosystem are ____
(e) The major reservoir of carbon on earth is ___
Solution:
(a) producers
(b) inverted or spindle
(c) light
(d) saprotrophs
(e) oceans

Question 2.
Which one of the following has the largest population in a food chain?
(a) Producers
(b) Primary consumers
(c) Secondary consumers
(d) Decomposer’s
Solution:
(d) decomposer’s

Question 3.
The second trophic level in a lake is
(a) phytoplankton
(b) zooplankton
(c) benthos
(d) fishes.
Solution:
(b) zooplankton

Question 4.
Secondary producers are
(a) herbivores
(b) producers
(c) carnivores
(d) none of these
Solution:
(a) herbivores

Question 5.
What is the percentage of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), in the incident solar radiation.
(a) 100%
(b) 50%
(c) 1 – 5%
(d) 2 – 10%
Solution:
(b) 50%

Question 6.
Distinguish between
(a) Grazing food chain and detritus food chain
(b) Upright and inverted pyramid
(c) Litter and detritus
(d) Production and decomposition
(e) Food chain and food web
(f) Primary and secondary productivity
Solution:
(a) Differences between grazing food chain and detritus food chain are as follows

(b) Differences between upright and inverted pyramids are as follows :

(c) Differences between litter and detritus are as follows :

(d) Differences between production and decomposition are as follows :

(e) Differences between food chain and food web are as follows:

(f) Differences between primary productivity and secondary productivity are as follows :

Question 7.
Describe the components of an ecosystem.
Solution:
Ecosystem: The system resulting from the interaction between organisms and their environment is called an ecosystem.
(a) Producers: Organisms, which can synthesize their own food are included under producers, e.g., Volvox, Pandorina, Oedogonium, Saggitaria, Utricularia, Azolla, Trapa, Lemna, Typha, Nymphaea etc. form the producer class of the pond ecosystem.

(b) Consumers:

• Primary consumer: Animals, which feed on producers are included in this category e.g., Daphnia, Cyclops, Paramoecium, Amoeba, and small fishes.
• Secondary consumers: Primary consumers also serve as food for water snakes, a few tortoises, few types of fish, etc. hence, these are carnivores.
• Tertiary consumers: Secondary consumers also serve as food for aquatic birds like kingfishers, cranes, big fish and these together form a top-class carnivorous group and called tertiary consumers.

(c) Decomposers: All producers and consumers die and accumulate on the floor of the pond. Even the waste material and feces of these animals get accumulated on the floor of the pond. Similarly, the floor of the pond is also occupied by decomposers, which include bacteria and fungi. These decomposers decompose complex organic compounds of then- bodies into simpler forms which are finally mixed with the soil of the floor of ponds. These are again absorbed by the roots of producer plants and thus matter is recycled.

Question 8.
Define ecological pyramids and describe with examples, pyramids of number and biomass.
Solution:
An ecological pyramid is a graphic representation of an ecological parameter, as a number of individuals present in various trophic levels of a food chain with producers forming the base and top carnivores the tip. Ecological pyramids were developed by Charles Elton (1927) and are, therefore, also called Eltonian pyramids.

There are three types of ecological pyramids, namely,

• Pyramid of numbers
• Pyramid of biomass
• Pyramid of energy

Pyramid of numbers: It is a graphic representation of the number of individuals per unit area of various trophic levels stepwise with producers at the base and top carnivores at the tip. In a grassland, the producers, which are mainly grasses, are always maximum in number. This number then shows a decrease towards the apex, as the primary consumers (herbivores) like rabbits, mice, etc. are lesser in number than the grasses; the secondary consumers, snakes, and lizards are lesser in number than the rabbits and mice. Finally, the top (tertiary) consumers hawks or other birds, are the least in number. Thus, the pyramid becomes upright.

Pyramid of biomass: The amount of living organic matter (fresh and dry weight) is called biomass. Here, different trophic level of the ecosystem are arranged according to the biomass of the organisms. In grassland and forest, there is generally a gradual decrease in biomass of organisms at successive levels from the producers to the top carnivores. Thus these pyramids are upright. But in pond ecosystem, it is inverted because the biomass gradually increases from the producers to carnivores.

Question 9.
What is primary productivity? Give a brief description of factors that affect primary productivity.
Solution:
The rate of biomass production is called productivity.
It is expressed in terms of g^-2yr^-1  or(Kcal-m^-2) yr^-1 to compare the productivity of ecosystems.
It can be divided into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NFP).

Gross Primary Productivity of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis. A considerable amount of GPP is utilized by plants in respiration.

Gross primary productivity minus respiration losses (R), is the Net Primary Productivity (NPP). GPP – R=NPP.
Primary productivity depends on:

• The plant species inhabiting a particular area.
• The environmental factors.
• Availability of nutrients.
• Photosynthetic capacity of plants.

Question 10.
Define decomposition and describe the processes and products of decomposition.
Solution:
Decomposition is the breakdown of dead or wastes organic matter by micro-organisms. Decomposition is both physical and chemical in nature. Processes involved in decomposition are – fragmentation, catabolism & leaching.

• Fragmentation – The process primarily due to the action of detritus feeding invertebrate (detritivores) causes it to break into smaller particles. The detritus gets pulverized when passing through the digestive tracts of animals. Due to fragmentation, the surface area of detritus particles is greatly increased.
• Catabolism – Enzyme degradation of detritus into simpler organic substances by bacteria and fungi.
• Leaching – The process by which nutrients, chemicals, or contaminants are dissolved & carried away by water, or are moved into a lower layer of soil.

Various inorganic and organic substances are obtained by decomposition. Inorganic substances are obtained in the process of mineralization while organic substances are obtained in humification. A dark coloured amorphous substance called humus is formed by decomposition. Humus is highly resistant to microbial action & undergoes extremely slow decomposition. It serves as a reservoir of nutrients.

Question 11.
Give an account of energy flow in an ecosystem.
Solution:
Ecosystems require a constant input of energy as every component of an ecosystem is regularly dissipating energy.

Two laws of thermodynamics govern this flow of energy. According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy can be transferred as well as transformed but is neither created nor destroyed. According to the second law of thermodynamics, every activity involving energy transformation is accompanied by the dissipation of energy. Except for deep hydrothermal ecosystems, the source of energy in all ecosystems is solar energy. 50% of the solar energy incident over the earth is present in PAR (photosynthetically active radiation).

Energy flow in an ecosystem is always unidirectional or one way, i.e., solar radiation → producers → herbivores → carnivores. It cannot pass in the reverse direction. There is a decrease in the content and flow of energy with the rise in trophic level. Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.
Producer biomass (1000 K cal) → Herbivore biomass (100 K cal) → Carnivore I biomass (10 Kcal) Carnivore II biomass (1 Kcal)

Question 12.
Write important features of a sedimentary cycle in an ecosystem
Solution:
Sedimentary Biogeochemical cycle:- It is the circulation of a biogeochemical between the biotic and abiotic compound of an ecosystem is a nongaseous being lithosphere or sediments of the earth. Sedimentary cycles occur in the case of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, etc.

Question 13.
Outline salient features of carbon cycling in an ecosystem.
Solution:
Carbon constitutes 49 percent of the dry weight of organisms and is next only to water. 71 percent of carbon is found dissolved in oceans. This ocean reservoir regulates the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels also represent a reservoir of carbon. Carbon cycling occurs through the atmosphere, ocean, and living and dead organisms. 4 x 10¹³ kg of carbon is fixed in the biosphere through photosynthesis annually.

A considerable amount of carbon returns to the atmosphere as Co₂ through respiratory activities of the producers and consumers. Decomposers also contribute substantially to the CO₂ pool by their processing of waste materials and dead organic matter of land or oceans. Some amount of fixed carbon is lost to sediments and removed from circulation. Burning of wood, forest fire and combustion of organic matter, fossil fuels, volcanic activity are additional sources for releasing Co₂ into the atmosphere.

Human activities have significantly influenced the carbon cycle. Rapid deforestation and the massive burning of fossil fuels for energy and transport have significantly increased the rate of release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 14 Ecosystem helps you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 14 Ecosystem, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum. Students can get Class 12 English An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Think it out 

Question 1.
Tick the item which best answers the following:

(a)“The tall girl with her head weighed down ” means The girl
(i) is ill and exhausted
(ii) has her head bent with shame
(iii) has untidy hair
Answer:
(i) is ill and exhausted

(b) “The paper-seeming boy, with rat’s eyes “ means The boy is
(i) sly and secretive
(ii) thin, hungry, and weak
(iii) unpleasant looking
Answer:
(ii) thin, hungry, and weak

(c) “The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones ” means The boy
(i) has an inherited disability
(ii) was short and bony
Answer:
(i) has an inherited disability

(d) “His eyes live in a dream, of squirrel’s game, in tree room, Other than this ” means The boy is
(i) full of hope about the future
(ii) mentally ill
(iii) distracted from the lesson
Answer:
(ii) mentally ill

(e) The children’s faces are compared to “rootless weeds ”
This means they
(i) are insecure
(ii) are ill-fed
(iii) are wasters
Answer:
(ii) are ill-fed

Question 2.
What do you think is the colour of “sour cream”? Why do you think the poet has used this expression to describe the classroom walls?
Answer:
The colour of “sour cream” is off-white or yellowish. The poet has used this expression to describe the classroom walls in order to underline the prevalent neglect. The dull colour and the suggested bitterness, echo the situation of the children.

Question 3.
The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of Shakespeare, “buildings with domes”, “world maps”, and “beautiful valleys”. How do these contrast with the world of these children?
Answer:
The poet saw the lives of slum children as far removed from that which is represented in schoolbooks, maps, photographs of alpine valleys, pictures of buildings with domes and the bust of Shakespeare. The glories of the world filled the textbooks and their classroom walls but failed to liberate these children from the reality of their impoverished existence in the cramped waste of modem industrial towns. The pictures serve as a stark contrast to the lived reality of the children.

Question 4.
What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?
Answer:
Stephen Spender, in this poem, questions the value of education in a slum. He appealed to the governors, teachers, inspectors and visitors to rescue the poor and oppressed from the “tomb” of class discrimination. The poet appeals to them to work towards the social and economic development of these children.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extra Questions and Answers

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Describe the three deprived children as described by Spender in the poem.
Answer:
Among the three deprived children described by Spender in the poem, the first is the tall girl with a “weighed-down head” signifying that she was mentally and physically exhausted. The second is the “paper- seeming boy” with frightened eyes. He was malnourished with twisted bones. The third is an unnoticed “sweet and young” boy whose eyes “live in a dream”.

Question 2.
Mention the characteristics of the slum children.
Answer:
The slum children are described as drained of energy; pale and thin. They are undernourished and unkempt like the “rootless weeds”. They are exhausted—mentally, physically and emotionally.

Question 3.
The first three stanzas spell a scene of dejection and despair. Justify.
Answer:
In the first stanza, the poet spells a scene of dejection and despair by using words such as the “rootless”,“stunted”, “twisted”, “gnarled”, “dim” and “diseased”. The poet speaks of the children’s faces as “rootless weeds”—unwanted, ugly and parasitic. They were unkempt and exhausted, sickly lean and like rodents. They had inherited their diseased bones from their parents. Their pitiable plight is reflected by equally dim and pathetic classrooms. They were doomed to be the “slag heap” of society like useless and unwanted “rubbish”.This antithetical imagery lends a contrast between the slum children and the subjects of their learning.

Question 4.
Contrast the imagery of the slum with donations on the wall.
Answer:
The slum is described as dark and dim where the children live on slag heap. They have a foggy future. The course of life for them is a narrow street with a lead sky that encloses on them. This is in contrast to the donations on the wall. Shakespeare’s head symbolizes an enlightened mind and the cloudless bright skies and the Tyrolese valley are contrasted with the foggy environment of the slum. The donations talk both of beauty and progress, while the slum is regressive.

Question 5.
What do “sour cream walls” symbolize?
Answer:
The “sour cream walls” symbolize the unkempt walls where the paint is yellowing and has lost lustre. Metaphorically, it reflects the despondent look of the students as well as the bitter life of the slum children.

Question 6.
Who can change the lives of the slum children and how?
Answer:
An enlightened person like a governor, inspector, or visitor can transform the lives of the slum children. These educated minds can liberate the imprisoned minds of the children. The poet then visualizes liberated children running on the “gold sands” and delving into the books. Their mind will be empowered and enlightened like the sun.

Question 7.
Discuss the use of metaphors in the poem.
Answer:
The poem uses a lot of comparisons or metaphors. The “gusty waves” symbolize the energy that ought to be found in children. The image of the fog is an implied comparison with the bleak future of children; for this purpose the poet uses the words “painted with a fog” and closed down with a “lead sky”. The children live “from fog to endless night” and for them “time and space are foggy slum”. The exposure to education and liberation of the mind is compared to being shown “green fields” and allowed to run “azure on gold sands”.
Being empowered and enlightened is being like the sun.

Question 8.
The poem dwells on squalor but ends on an optimistic note. Discuss.
Answer:
The poem dwells on squalor but ends on an optimistic note. The imprisoned minds and lives will be released from their bondage when “governor, inspector, visitor” come to their rescue. They will be free from the “tomb” of class prejudice and are visualized as liberated children running on the “gold sands”, exploring the realms of knowledge. They will also be liberated from the shackles of poverty.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Value Based Question

Question 1.
The poem exposes the widespread neglect of children of all nationalities, races, and ethnicities. The poet pleads for equal opportunity for education thereby appealing to the people to be more sensitive to their needs. Justify.
Answer:
The poet pleads for social justice so as to provide equal opportunity for education to children of all social strata. He pities the miserable plight of the classroom in the slum that offers little hope for change or progress for its students. The poem provides a clear, dreary depiction of the students in the classroom. The poverty and social injustice imposed upon the children causes them to be “weighed-down,” “paper-seeming,” diseased and “twisted.” Through the poignant imagery, the poet expresses his outrage at the insensitive attitude of the rich and the privileged, towards the unfortunate children of the slum school.

The poem also highlights the importance of education and how it should touch the lives of the downtrodden society. Empowered by education, these children, according to the poet, can achieve a mental prowess that will free them from futures “painted with a fog”. He views education as a means of bringing about social . change and uprooting poverty. He wishes for the divide between the rich and the poor to disappear so that no childhood is lost in the gloomy darkness of the ignorance in the slums.

Give examples from the poem of the following poetic devices.

Antithesis
Contrast between the “rootless”, “stunted”, “twisted”, “gnarled”, “dim” and “diseased” lives of the slum children with that represented in schoolbooks, maps, photographs of alpine valleys, or a bust of Shakespeare.

Repetition
(a) “Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.”
(b) “Break O break open ‘till they break the town.”

Simile
(a) “.. .children’s faces/Like rootless weeds”
(b) “With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.”

Metaphor
(a) “The paper-seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.”
(b) “these windows, not this world, are world,”
(c) “future painted with fog”
(d) “A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky,”
(e) “From fog to endless night”

Irony
“Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, and the map a bad example”

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Microbes in Human Welfare

These Solutions are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Microbes in Human Welfare

Question 1.
Bacteria cannot be seen with the naked eyes, but these can be seen with the help of a microscope. If you have to carry a sample from your home to your biology laboratory to demonstrate the presence of microbes under a microscope, which sample would you carry and why?
Solution:
Curd. It is simple to carry and easily demonstrate the presence of Lactobacillus bacteria.

Question 2.
Give examples to prove that microbes release gases during metabolism.
Solution:

• Making of dough for bread, dosa, and idli with the help of fermenting microbes. Heat expels the gases and makes the food spongy.
• Production of biogas

Question 3.
In which food would you find lactic acid bacteria? Mention some of their useful applications.
Solution:
Curd. LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria) produce acids that coagulate and partially digest the milk protein. LAB also play very beneficial role in the stomach to check disease-causing microbes.

Question 4.
Name some traditional Indian foods made of wheat, rice, and Bengal gram (or their products) which involve use of microbes.
Solution:
Idli, Dhokla, Dosa. Several food items such as dosa, idli, jalebi and bread are prepared by fermentation process in which one or more kinds of microbes are used.

Question 5.
In which way have microbes played a major role in controlling diseases caused by harmful bacteria?
Solution:
Microbes are very useful to combat disease-causing harmful bacteria. A number of antibiotics have been isolated from microorganisms. An antibiotic is a substance which in low concentration inhibits the growth and metabolic activity of pathogenic organisms without harming the host. Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered by Alexander Fleming from fungus Penicillium notation. Antibiotics are obtained from lichens, fungi, eubacteria, and actinomycetes. Some common antibiotics and their sources are as follows :

1. Polymyxin – Bacillus polymyxa
2. Chloramphenicol – Streptomyces venezuelae
3. Neomycin – Streptomyces fradiae
4. Tetracycline (Terramycin) – Streptomyces rimosus
5. Cephalosporin – Cephalosporium acremonium

Question 6.
Name any two species of fungus, which are used in the production of the antibiotics
Solution:
Penicillium notatum provides antibiotic penicillin and antibiotic fumagillin is obtained from Aspergillus fumigatus.

Question 7.
What is sewage? In which way can sewage be harmful to us?
Solution:
The wastewater containing large amounts of organic matter and microbes is called sewage. The sewage contains many harmful pathogens. It will pollute the natural water bodies like rivers and streams if it is released into them. This will in turn cause the spreading of many communicable diseases which are transmitted through contaminated food and water.

Question 8.
What is the key difference between primary and secondary sewage treatment?
Solution:
Primary (1°) treatment is a physical process that involves for removal of particulate as settleable particles. Secondary (2°) treatment is purely a biological treatment involving microbial oxidation.

Question 9.
Do you think microbes can also be used as a source of energy? If yes, how?
Solution:

Biogas is a mixture of gas containing methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. Methane is the predominant gas. It is produced by microbial activity and is used as a source of energy. The types of gases produced depend upon the types of organic materials they (microbes) use. The bacteria grow anaerobically on cellulose, produce a large amount of meth­ane along with hydrogen and carbon dioxide. These bacteria are collectively called methanogens.

One of the common methanogens is Methanobacterium. Methanogens are commonly found in sewage. They are also found in the rumen (a chamber of the compound stomach) of cattle where a large amount of cellulosic food is present. These bacteria help in the breakdown of cellu­lose and thus play a vital role in digestion (symbiotic digestion). Thus, the excreta (dung) of cattle, commonly called gobar can be used for the produc­tion of biogas and hence called gobar gas.

Question 10.
Microbes can be used to decrease the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Explain how this can be accomplished.
Solution:
Due to its hazardous nature and anti-environmental effect the use of chemical fertilisers and chemical insecticides are very illegitimate. The development of biofertilisers and bioinsecticides has enabled us to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and chemical insecticides. Microbes are very important biological agents as biofertilisers and biopesticides.
Microbes as biofertilisers

1. Free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria – Azotobactcr, Clostridium.
2. Free-living nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria – Anabaena, Nostoc.
3. Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria – Rhizobium
4. Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria – Azolla – Anabaena
5. Mycorrhiza – symbiotic association between fungi and roots of a higher plant.

Microbes as bio-pesticides:
Biopesticides are that biological agents that are used to control weeds, insects, and pathogens. The microorganisms used as biopesticides are viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and mites. Some of the biopesticides are being used at a commercial scale. Most important example is the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Spores of this bacterium produce the insecticidal Cry protein. This bacterium was the first biopesticide to be used on a commercial scale in the world. Through the use of genetic engineering, the scientists have introduced the B. thuringiensis toxin gene into plants. Such plants are resistant to attack by insect pests.

Question 11.
Three water samples namely river water, untreated sewage water and secondary effluent discharged from a sewage treatment plant were subjected to BOD test. The samples were labelled A, B and C; but the laboratory attendant did not note which was which. The BOD values of the three samples A, B and C were recorded as 20mg/L, 8mg/L and 400mg/L, respectively. Which sample of the water is most polluted? Can you assign the correct label to each assuming the river water is relatively clean?
Solution:
If the BOD level of A, B and C are 20 mg/L, 8 mg/L and 400 mg/L, the /most polluted one is sample ‘C’ i.e., untreated sewage water. Sample B is the least polluted and it is river water. Sample A is secondary effluent discharged from a treatment plant.

Question 12.
Find out the name of the microbes from which Cyclosporin A (an immunosuppressive drug) and Statins (blood cholesterol-lowering agents) are obtained.
Solution:
Cyclosporin A – Trichoderma polysporum. Statin – Monascus purpureus.

Question 13.
Find out the role of microbes in the following:

1. Single-cell protein (SCP)
2. Soil

Solution:
1. Single-cell protein (SCP) is the protein extracted from cultivated microbial biomass. Edible mushrooms, yeast cells, and blue-green algae provide high protein resources with some medicinal effects. SCP is available in the forms of fresh cells, dry cells, tablets, or extracts.

2. The use of biological methods for controlling plant diseases and pests is called biocontrol. This method has been replaced by the indiscriminate use of chemicals used in the chemical control of pests. The chemicals used for killing pests are toxic and extremely harmful to men and domestic animals. They also pollute the environment and our crop plants.

Question 14.
Arrange the following in the decreasing order (most important first) of their importance, for the welfare of human society. Give reasons for your answer. Biogas, citric acid, penicillin and curd
Solution:
The correct order from viewpoint of human welfare should be as follows: Penicillin > biogas > citric acid > curd Penicillin is an antibiotic, which is used to combat pathogenic microorganisms. Today, we cannot imagine a world without antibiotics because antibiotics have greatly improved our capacity to treat deadly diseases such as plague, whooping cough (kali khansi), diphtheria (gal ghotu) and leprosy (kusht rog), which used to kill millions of people all over the globe. It should be given first priority.

As we are going to face a great crisis of fossil fuels in near future, biogas can be the legitimate and brilliant alternative to fossil fuels. It can be used as fuel for heating, cooking, lighting, power for irrigation and other purposes. It is considered an eco-friendly and pollution-free energy source.
Citric acid is produced through the fermentation carried out by Aspergillus niger on many carbohydrates. Citric acid is used in medicines, dyeing, mirror silvering, manufacture of ink, flavouring and preservation of food and candies.

Curd is prepared by fermentation of milk. Fermentation agents are lactic acid bacteria. Curd is more nutritious than milk as it contains a number of vitamins and organic acids.

Question 15.
How do biofertilisers enrich the fertility of the soil?
Solution:
The use of biological methods for controlling plant diseases and pests is called biocontrol. This method has been replaced by the indiscriminate use of chemicals used in the chemical control of pests. The chemicals used for killing pests are toxic and extremely harmful to men and domestic animals. They also pollute the environment and our crop plants.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Microbes in Human Welfare help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Microbes in Human Welfare, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem 5 Father to Son. Students can get Class 11 English Father to Son NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

Father to Son NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem 5

Father to Son NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Father to Son Think it out

Question 1.
Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
Answer:
‘Generation gap’, as termed now, is a fairly universal phenomenon. Children in their effort to keep abreast with changing values lose track of their roots. They find the values, they inherit from their parents, overbearing. Parents are protective and try to guard them from making mistakes. This leads to a clash of ideologies.

Question 2.
How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem?
Answer:
This poem is a lament of the father because the chasm between his son and him has grown over the years. He recalls moments of his son as a child and laments how he has become a stranger to him. Their preferences and ideologies have alienated them. He wishes to rebuild their relationship and start afresh.

Question 3.
Identify the phrases and lines that indicate distance between father and son.
Answer:

• I do not understand this child
• I know Nothing of him,
• Yet have I killed
  The seed I spent or sown it where
  The land is his and none of mine?
• We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
  Of understanding in the air.
• Yet what he loves I cannot share.
  Silence surrounds us.
• He speaks: I cannot understand
• We each put out an empty hand

Question 4.
Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme?
Answer:
Yes the poem does have a consistent rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is ABBABA.

Here we are providing NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 The Tiger King. Students can get Class 12 English The Tiger King NCERT Solutions, Questions and Answers designed by subject expert teachers.

The Tiger King NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2

The Tiger King NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Tiger King Reading with insight

Question 1.
The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Answer:
The story is a poignant satire on the abuse of power by the people in powerful positions. The Maharaja, fearing the prophecy that he would meet his death from the hundredth tiger, launched a feverish hunt in the name of “self-defence”.The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. He declared that the property of the person, who dared to hunt a tiger, would be confiscated. The king was all set to realise his ambition. He vowed to attend to other matters only after killing of a hundred tigers. In the process, he came close to losing his throne when he refused permission to a high-ranking British officer to hunt tigers in his state.

When there were no more tigers left in his kingdom, he married a girl of a state with a large tiger population. With the passage of time, tigers had become extinct even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. On hearing the news of a tiger in a village of his kingdom, the Maharaja whimsically announced a three- year exemption from all taxes for that village and set out on the hunt at once.

When the tiger was not found, many officers lost their jobs. He put his whole kingdom through misery, threatening to take away jobs and double the taxes, until he was presented with the hundredth tiger. Ironically, in spite of his frenzied initiative to negate the prophecy, he met with his death at the hands of a wooden, toy tiger. In this way, the hundredth ‘toy tiger’ took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.

Dramatic irony is employed in the ironical twist in the tale— ninety-nine tigers were killed in vain, and the king came under threat from a wooden toy tiger. There is also a great deal of irony in how contrary to the ferociousness of tigers, the hundredth tiger was old and fainted from the shock of the bullet whizzing past. The tale is a satire on the pompous Maharaja, who heartlessly killed a hundred tigers, only to meet his nemesis in a toy.

Question 2.
What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings?
Answer:
Through the story “The Tiger King”, the writer puts across his view of condemning the killing of animals. The Maharaja, the protagonist of the story, scared of a prophecy, killed tigers mercilessly. The author also raises a contemporary concern of the present times—the extinction of wildlife due to human activities. Asserting the “right” to kill animals is like asserting the right to steal, from future generations. The tiger population became extinct in the territories where he had an access to kill. The writer garbs it in the guise of a folklore, but addresses how merciless killing of animals leads to a depletion of natural resources. The sensitive environmental issue of certain species becoming extinct is beautifully and humorously conveyed.

Question 3.
How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Answer:
Since the Maharaja’s existence revolved around killing a hundred tigers, his minions, driven by fear, obeyed him. Even the astrologer was afraid of predicting his death till the Maharaja told him to “speak without fear”. Determined to fulfil his mission, the Maharaja threatened to confiscate the wealth and property of any person who dared to hurt a tiger.

Overtaken by the madness to kill hundred tigers, he unjustly levied taxes and threatened his subjects to take away their jobs. The minions seemed afraid of their whimsical monarch. They kept their opinions to themselves, and watched as their king drove the entire nation to risk for his personal agenda. In today’s political order, we have such examples of autocratic rulers and dynastic monopolies throughout the world. In many countries we see that the role of money, crime, electoral manipulation and muscle power greatly influences political decisions. Sycophants prevent those in power from seeing the truth.

Question 4.
Can you relate instances of game hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?
Answer:
While not every medieval noble ever went off to war, they all, if physically able, went off to hunt on horseback. Hunting was the favourite pastime of the warrior class.However, in the recent past, when poaching has been made illegal, most hunters get away with murder in India. When Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was apprehended for hunting down an endangered species of black buck, the ruthless, arrogant lifestyle of some Indians with inherited fortunes were exposed.

For years, animals—especially tigers and elephants—have been killed for their skins and organs. National parks, sanctuaries, and reserves have been virtually turned into hunting grounds by poachers. Armed with sophisticated weapons and vehicles, supported by corrupt officials and politicians, and glamorised by movie stars like Salman Khan, who was arrested for killing the black buck in Rajasthan, the poachers have ruled the jungles with little fear.

All this has led to certain species becoming extinct due to encroachment and hunting by human beings. One such example is the Tibetan Antelope, which has been hunted down by poachers for its skin, used to make the Shahtoosh shawl. This antelope yields one of the finest and most expensive wools in the world—a prized possession of the rich. Pearl essence is obtained primarily from herring and is one of the many by-products of large-scale commercial fishing.

Question 5.
We need a new system of the age of ecology—a system that will take care of all people and of the earth and of all life upon it. Discuss.
Answer:
In our diverse and increasingly interdependent world, it is crucial that we, the people of earth, declare our responsibility to the greater community of life. The survival of our earth depends upon the consciousness that we should move beyond nationalism to more global concerns, for instance, to a sense of bio-regionalism. The well-being of people and the biosphere depends upon preserving clean air, pure waters, fertile soils, and a rich variety of plants, animals and ecosystems. The global environment with its finite resources is a primary concern of all humanity. The community of our planet stands at a defining moment. With science and technology have come great benefits and also great harm.

The dominant patterns of production and consumption are altering the climate, degrading the environment, depleting resources, and causing massive extinction of species. A dramatic rise in population has increased the pressures on ecological systems and has overburdened social systems. The challenges humanity faces can only be met if people everywhere acquire an awareness of global inter- dependence, identify themselves with the larger world, and decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility.

The Tiger King Extra Questions and Answers

The Tiger King Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Who was the Tiger King? Why was he so named?
Answer:
When the king was bom, the astrologers had foretold that one day he would be killed by a tiger. The king, they predicted, would grow up to become the greatest of all warriors, heroes and champions, but since he was bom in the hour of the bull, predicted that he would meet his end at the hand of its nemesis—the tiger.

Question 2.
When did the king kill his first tiger? What was his reaction?
Answer:
When the Maharaja came of age at twenty, he became the ruler of the State. It was then that he heard of the astrologer’s prediction. He immediately launched on a spree to kill hundred tigers, and killed the first of them around that time. He justified his hunt by calling it an act of “self-defence”. He was thrilled with his first kill, but was soon unsettled when the astrologer predicted that it would be the hundredth tiger that would kill him.

Question 3.
“The king seemed well set to realise his ambition.” What was his ambition? How did he set out realising it?
Answer:
The king’s ambition was to kill a hundred tigers. He went forth fearlessly, there were times when the bullet missed its mark, the tiger leapt upon him and he fought the beast with his bare hands. Each time it was the Maharaja who won.

Question 4.
The tiger hunt almost cost the Maharaja his throne. How?
Answer:
A high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. He was keener on being photographed with the tigers he had shot. He wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja firmly refused permission. He even refused to let him be photographed, standing over the tiger’s carcass. But the Maharaja appeased the officer by sending his wife expensive diamond rings as gifts.

Question 5.
What difficulty awaited the Maharaja’s tiger hunts after he killed seventy of them? How did he solve the situation?
Answer:
Within ten years of his hunt for tigers, the Maharaja succeeded in killing seventy tigers. With that, the tigers became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. To resolve the issue, the Maharaja decided to get married to a girl of a royal family of the state with the highest tiger population.

Question 6.
What incentive did the Maharaja give to the village with the hundredth tiger? What was his reaction when the tiger was not found?
Answer:
The Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for the village where a tiger was spotted. When the tiger was not found, the Maharaja refused to leave the forest until the tiger was found. As the days passed, many officers lost their jobs, he doubled the land tax, and threatened the.dewan, asking him to resign.

Question 7.
How was the hundredth tiger found?
Answer:
The dewan got a tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and kept it hidden in his house. At midnight when the town slept in peace, the dewan and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat. The dewan himself drove the car straight to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting.

Question 8.
Bring out the irony in the end of the story.
Answer:
The Maharaja, the greatest of warriors and heroes, was killed by a wooden tiger that cost only two annas and a quarter. After he spent years hunting down tigers to avoid the death that was predicted, he met his end at the hands of a toy tiger. The irony lay in the strange way his fate unfolded.

The Tiger King Long Answer Question

Question 1.
Bring out the irony in the title “The Tiger King”.
Answer:
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram took on the title of His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur; but this name was often shortened to Tiger King. As his name suggested, the astrologers predicted that he would grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, and champion of champions. They also foretold that he would be killed by a tiger.

However, his death was an anti-climax. He had killed ninety-nine tigers to overwrite the prediction of the astrologer. However, he died — not a valiant death on the battlefield or while hunting a tiger. Instead, his death was caused by a wooden tiger that cost only two annas and a quarter. The surface of the tiny little • wooden tiger, carved by an unskilled carpenter, was rough and had tiny slivers of wood like quills all over it. One of those quills pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, it developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over the arm. Three famous surgeons operated but could not save him.

Question 2.
“The Tiger King” was punished for his crime of killing the tigers. Comment.
Answer:
The day the Maharaja was bom, astrologers predicted that he would be killed by a tiger as he was bom in the hour of the bull, which had a tiger for its enemy. The hundredth tiger would be the cause of his death. As the Maharaja grew up, he set out to hunt all the tigers, vowing he would attend to all other matters only after killing a hundred tigers. He was well set to realize his ambition. There was a time when the bullet missed its mark, the tiger leapt upon him, and he fought the beast with his bare hands.

Each time, it was the Maharaja who won. Within ten years, the tiger population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. To kill thirty more tigers, he married a girl from the royal family of a state with a large tiger population. After his marriage, Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. In this manner, the number rose to ninety-nine. But, as luck would have it, he missed killing the hundredth tiger as it was still alive when the Maharaja took him for dead.

The Maharaja, however, paid for his deeds. His death was caused by a wooden tiger that cost only two annas and a quarter. The tiny little wooden tiger that he got as a gift for his son had been carved by an unskilled carpenter. Its surface was rough and tiny slivers of wood stood up like quills all over it. One of those slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, it developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over the arm. Despite famous surgeons operating on it, he could not be saved.

Question 3.
Why does the writer say: “Even the threat of a Stuka bomber will not throw me off track.”
Answer:
The Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ was a plane used by the Germans as a dive bomber. It was instantly recognizable with its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. The bomber’s accuracy was high when in a full dive as it used an automatic pull-up system to ensure that the plane pulled out of the dive once the bomb was released. The wheel covers were fitted with sirens that were used once the planes went into a dive, to shatter the morale of enemy troops and civilians. The fins of the bombs were also fitted with whistles to ensure that those being bombed knew just when the bombs were released and could track them on the way down. This was supposed to generate fear in them. The writer refers to the Stuka bombers to convey that nothing, not . even a horrific thing like a Stuka Bomber, could deter him from telling the story.

Question 4.
What does the writer mean when he says: “As Bharata said to Rama about Dasaratha, the Tiger King has reached that final abode of all living creatures”?
Answer:
In the Ramayana, Kaikeyi, the last and youngest of Dasaratha’s three wives, on Manthara’s advice, forced Dasaratha to banish Rama from the kingdom for a period of no less than fourteen years and place her son, Bharata, upon the throne of Ayodhya. Honouring his father’s vow, Rama relinquished his claim to the throne and left. In time, Dasaratha lost the will to live and died of grief.

Outraged at his mother’s act and grieved at the loss of his father, Bharata went to get back his brother Rama to take over as the next king. As Bharata conveyed to Rama the news about Dasaratha’s demise, the writer conveyed the news of Tiger King’s death to the reader in a similar fashion.

Question 5.
Explain the miracle that happened soon after the Maharaja was born.
Answer:
When the Maharaja was only a ten-day-old infant, a miracle occurred. The astrologers predicted that one day the king would grow up to become a valiant warrior. He would be one of the greatest heroes but would one day have to meet his death. As the astrologers foretold his future, a great miracle took place. The ten- day-old Maharaja spoke.

He said that all mortals would one day have to die. He wanted to know the cause of his death. The chief astrologer was wonderstruck. The infant Maharaja had not only spoken, but had also raised an intelligent question. The chief astrologer predicted that the prince was bom in the hour of the bull. The bull and the tiger being enemies; the Maharaja’s death would come from the tiger. As soon as Jung Jung Bahadur heard of the prophecy, he shouted a warning to all the tigers—“Let tigers beware!”

Question 6.
How did the Maharaja come close to losing his throne? How did he save it?
Answer:
Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur had issued an order forbidding anyone but himself from shooting tigers in his kingdom. This order put him in danger of losing his throne. Once, a high-ranking British officer who was very fond of hunting tigers visited Pratibandapuram. He wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram, but the Maharaja declined. The Maharaja not only sent a message forbidding him to kill tigers but he also refused to let the officer be photographed holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s carcass.

Since he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, he stood in danger of losing his kingdom. Hence, the Maharaja sent a telegram to a famous company of jewellers in Calcutta to send samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs. About fifty rings were sent. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer’s wife expecting her to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. But she kept all of them for herself. The Maharaja had to foot a bill for three lakh rupees but was happy that he had managed to retain his kingdom.

Question 7.
In Pratibandapuram it was “easier to find tiger’s milk than a live tiger”. Why was this so?
Answer:
After the Maharaja had heard of the astrologer’s prediction, he set out to hunt a hundred tigers. He vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing a hundred tigers. Within ten years, he was able to kill seventy tigers, but with this the tiger population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. To kill thirty more tigers, he asked his minister to find a girl from a royal family in a state with a large tiger population.

After the right girl was found, the Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five or six tigers each time he visited his father- in-law. In this manner, the number rose to ninety-nine. But, when just one tiger was left to achieve his count of a hundred, and he could not find another tiger, he sank into gloom. Finding a tiger was next to impossible. Here the author has used a hyperbole to stress the scarcity of tigers for a comical effect. Tiger’s milk, which is impossible to find, is used to convey that it became next to impossible to find a live tiger in Pratibandapuram.

Question 8.
Did the Maharaja ‘kill’ the hundredth tiger? Why/why not?
Answer:
After the Tiger King had killed ninety-nine tigers, the Maharaja sank into gloom as he could not find the hundredth tiger. Then, one day, when he heard that in his own state the sheep had begun to disappear from a hillside village, his hopes began to rise. Delighted, he even announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for the village and set out to find the tiger. But it was in vain. Furious, the Maharaja threw out many officers and doubled the land tax there.

The worried dewan was relieved when a tiger was brought from the People’s Park in Madras and he kept . it hidden in his house. At midnight, the dewan and his wife dragged the tiger to the car and drove it till the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. With a great difficulty, the dewan pushed it out. The next day, the old tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s presence. The Maharaja shot the beast and the tiger fell to the ground. The overjoyed Maharaja left after ordering that the tiger be brought to the capital in a grand procession, After
the Maharaja left, the hunters realized that the tiger was not dead; it had merely fainted from the shock of the bullet that went past it. For the fear of losing their jobs, the hunters decided to keep away the truth from the Maharaja and shot the tiger dead.

Question 9.
Why did the hunters not tell the Maharaja that he had failed in his mission of killing the hundredth tiger?
Answer:
After a great deal of effort, the Maharaja found the hundredth tiger. Ironically, for the Maharaja, who had earlier fought and killed a tiger bare-handed, killing the old tiger would have been a cake-walk; and yet destiny did not allow this. The Maharaja shot the tiger and thinking it dead, left the forest, feeling elated. But when the hunters took a closer look at the tiger, it rolled its eyes in bewilderment. The men realized that the tiger was not dead. The Maharaja’s bullet had missed it.

Nevertheless, it had fainted from the shock of the bullet speeding past. The hunters decided that the Maharaja must not come to know that he had missed his target. He was quick to anger and would punish them. They would lose their jobs or worse. Hence, one of the hunters took aim from a distance of one foot and shot the tiger. This time, the tiger was killed. But the Maharaja was blissful in his ignorance.

Question 10.
The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. Comment.
Answer:
The story, “The Tiger King”, is a poignant satire on the self-importance that the people in power assume. Because of a prophecy made at the time of his birth, the Maharaja shouted a warning to all the tigers—’’Let tigers beware!” After he grew older, he started his tiger hunt in the innumerable forests in Pratibandapuram State and justified the act as he was doing so in “self-defence”. He banned tiger hunting in the State by anyone other than him and declared that the property of the person who would hurt a tiger would be confiscated. He vowed to attend to all other matters only after killing hundred tigers. After killing all the seventy tigers in his own kingdom, the Maharaja married a girl of a state with a large tiger population.

Soon, tigers became extinct even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. Hearing the news of a tiger in a village announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village and set out on the hunt at once. After shooting the tiger the Maharaja was relieved. However, the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, and champion of champions did not die a valiant death on the battlefield or while hunting a tiger. Instead, his death was caused by infection resulting from a wound caused by a wooden tiger that cost only two annas and a quarter.

Question 11.
Human beings view nature merely as a resource to be exploited or even an enemy that needs to be vanquished. Comment with reference to The Tiger King.
Answer:
The author in the story “The Tiger King” expresses the view that there is no excuse or justification for stalking and killing an animal. Because of his blind faith in prophecy, the Maharaja kills tigers aimlessly. Ironically, he who had confessed as a child that “all those who are bom will one day have to die”, later sets out to become immortal by killing tigers, indiscriminately. Hunting animals by humans operates perversely. The Maharaja’s only need was to prove his masculinity, his dominance by killing hapless animals.

The writer reaffirms a very valid reason against hunting—the extinction of species due to human activities. We realize that asserting the right to kill animals is like asserting the right to steal from future generations. The Maharaja steals tigers from the future. The tiger population became extinct in the territories where he had an access to kill. Thus, the next generation would not have the right to see and learn from the bountiful earth that they inherited because the present generation would have left it barren.