1.3 The Call of the Soil - Complete Solutions

Ice Breakers

Activity: Discuss the following with your partner and complete the following sentences.

(a) Before eating apples brought from the market, I wash and peel them off... Answer: because the outer layer of the apple contains wax coating.

(b) In a farmers’ market, we find... Answer: seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, vegetables and fruits.

(c) Food adulteration means... Answer: adding a small quantity of non–nutritious substances intentionally to improve the appearance, texture or storage properties of the food; the addition of other substances that degrade the quality of food.

(d) Organic food is grown by using... Answer: natural materials, methods and conditions (e.g., organic seeds and traditional methods).

(e) Organic fertilizer means... Answer: the fertilizers derived from animal matter or wastes, human excreta, vegetable matter (e.g., compost and crop residues).

Activity: Complete the following web diagram: Rice varieties available at my Grocer’s shop.

Activity: Find out from your grandparents or parents the names of vegetables and fruits they had eaten in their childhood and mention how the vegetables and fruits are different from the ones today.

Name of vegetable/fruit	Shape	Colour	Taste
Mango	Round, Oval, heart shaped	Green-yellow	Sweet
Banana	C-shape / Curved	Green-yellow	Sweet (less sweet depending on variety)
Lady’s finger	Oblong	Green	Crunchy
Plum	Round or Oval	Reddish-purple, yellow, Red	Sweet to tart
Amla	Spherical	Light-greenish yellow	Sour and bitter

Activity: You might have learnt about organic farming. Make groups and discuss the difference between conventional farming and organic farming and write it down.

Sr. No.	Conventional Farming	Organic Farming
1	Produce larger quantities of food; Pesticides may be used.	Produce lesser quantities of food; Strict restrictions on pesticides.
2	Less manual labour; Fertilizers used for better yield.	More manual labour; Natural fertilizers are used.
3	Extra use of chemicals/pesticides may affect eco system.	More ecological and good for health; Natural growth encouraged.
4	Gradually deteriorates the fertility of soil and crop yield.	Improves the fertility of the soil.

Brainstorming & Textual Activities

1) Guess the meaning of the word ‘lush’ in this context. Answer: Meaning of the word ‘lush’: rich, prolific or luxuriant.

2) Find words related to agriculture. Answer: green pods, crop, farmer, sowing, seeds, plough, farming, tractor, yield, chemical sprays, fertilizers, hybrid and desi variety, rice, moong etc.

3) The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because... Answer: He did not want to spray some pesticides on the plants to give a higher yield. He did not think that it was essential to use such chemicals.

4) The writer wanted to grow the traditional variety of rice because... 1) The traditional varieties were quite strong and resisted pests.
2) They did not need very high inputs of fertilizers.

5) The writer almost gave up hope of finding the desi variety of rice because... Answer: Most of the farmers in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids. The younger generation of farmers considered planting desi variety as crazy thing. Writer’s visits to the villages around searching for a good traditional variety also did not give any results so he almost gave up hope of finding the desi variety of rice.

6) Mention the varieties of rice from the passage. Answer: 1) Kasbai 2) Basmati

7) List ways in which the Government officer cooperated with the author. 1) Gave the names of a number of latest hybrid varieties.
2) Offered to give the writer some of the latest varieties free of cost for a trial.
3) Asked not to believe on the words of the villagers (stories about Kasbai).

8) Find synonyms for ‘insipid’. Answer: tasteless or flavourless.

(A1) (i) Read the extract and state whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.

(a) Growing in abundance is more important than the quality of the crop. Answer: False. Correction: Quality should be given more importance. According to the author, the quality of the crop is more important than its quantity.

(b) The author wanted to grow the desi variety of rice. Answer: True

(c) The author did not succeed in finding Kasbai. Answer: False. Correction: The author finally succeeded in finding Kasbai at Asarvari village (but with great difficulty).

(d) The aroma of the ‘desi’ rice would spread around the village. Answer: True

(e) Newer hybrid crops have a great appetite for chemicals. Answer: True

(f) The author is an example of ‘reverse migration’. Answer: True

(A1) (ii) Flowchart / Note-Making

Activity: Complete the flowchart. Discovery of Kasbai rice.

(A1) (iii) Fill in the blanks.

(a) The author wanted to grow... organic moong.

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

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

(e) The author bought ________ kilos of rice from an Adivasi woman who lived in remote hills. 10 (ten)

(A2) Activities

List the reactions of the agricultural officer to the author’s inquiry about Kasbai rice seeds. 1. He had not heard of Kasbai rice seeds.
2. He uttered the names of latest hybrids.
3. He also offered to give the author some hybrid seeds free of cost.

Go through the text once again and note down Devu Handa’s fond memories of Kasbai. 1. It needs less rain.
2. It has an alluring aroma.
3. It is a long duration of rice.

Vocabulary and Grammar

The writer says he grew ‘an awful lot of moong’. Explain the word 'awful' in this sentence. The word 'awful' in this context means 'a large amount.'

Explain how the word 'scent' in the subtitle ‘Scent of the Rice’, has a deeper meaning than ‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’. The word 'scent' in the title 'Scent of the Rice', carries a feeling within itself. It suggests a sense of belongingness. Also, it refers to the tracing of smell and hence, it is different from its synonyms 'perfume' and 'fragrance' in this context.

Tick phrases having a similar meaning to 'tracing a smell': • in pursuit of
• on the trail of

Grammar: Sentence Analysis 1. "She muttered in reply and we looked at Jeevan for a quick interpretation." This is a Compound Sentence. Two simple sentences are put together by using the coordinating conjunction ‘and’.

2. "As she muttered in reply, we looked at Jeevan for a quick interpretation." This is a Complex Sentence. It begins with the subordinating conjunction ‘As’.

Make pairs and groups and find out some more simple, complex, and compound sentences from the text. Simple: It was April 2004.
Compound: It was just before sunrise and the sky was turning a bright orange.
Complex: I stood watching the sunrise above the towering trees across the fence and slowly made my way back to the house, a white structure in the middle of this greenery.

Prepare a list of subordinating conjunctions. but, and, than, that, which, when, who, as much as, etc.

Writing Skills & Personal Response

"Planting and growing more crops a year seems to be progressed by normal standards, but the chapter makes a case against it." Give reasons. According to normal standards, growing more crops a year is indeed progressive but the chapter makes a case against it because, in the name of progress, we are being fed hybrid crops and adulterated food items. We are inching towards illnesses and poor health with pesticide infested products and artificial agricultural enhancers. This will only lead to health risks.

Describe in about 150 words your experience similar to the writer’s when you pursued something and reached your goal. I wanted to pursue Warli painting classes, but could not find any professional artist near my residence to coach me. I looked for online classes but failed in that attempt too. I asked my friends to check near their residential areas in and around Mumbai, still I failed to gather any positive news. Finally, one fine morning, while I was travelling back from college, I met a middle-aged lady who was carrying a handbag with Warli artwork on it. I was instantly drawn to that bag and she noticed my expression. She ended up asking me about my interest in her bag. I was embarrassed at first but then told her about my love for Warli painting. She had a smile on her face. She told me that she belonged to Palghar district and that her forefathers dealt in that art. My happiness knew no bounds when at last, I got to know that I could take classes from her, starting from the upcoming Sunday.

The writer goes in search of an invaluable indigenous variety of seeds. List three reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural practices. 1. To compare traditional farming practices with conventional farming.
2. To compare the fertility of land after each harvest that has been done using modern technology.
3. To maintain and safeguard agricultural productivity based on utility.

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

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

Counter-View: We should always wear what fits our size, nothing more; nothing less. Thinking big is the need of the hour; not wearing bigger clothes! To think big doesn't just mean to live a king-size life and waste money on luxuries. Thinking big in rational terms means thinking for others too. Reducing your daily needs, cutting down on luxuries, and focusing on basic requirements will help take care of others' needs. Not just that, it will help to save resources for the use of future generations. The new world has a lot to offer, but we should know the limit and draw a line where our needs meet and our greed ends. This will only pave way for a happy and fulfilling life.

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

Views (Favour)	Counterviews (Against)
Organic farming uses natural methods of growing food and is hence safe.	Organic farming focuses on quality rather than quantity; which ensures a healthy lifestyle for the people.
Organic produce is free of any chemical/pesticide and is therefore healthy for us.	Organic farming is solely based on traditional methods whereas the seasonal changes and weather conditions nowadays require modern ways of farming for greater scale production.
Organic farm produce is grown using manure and plant compost rather than other chemical fertilisers and thereby reduces the risk of cancer.	Based on the ever-decreasing fertility of the soil, chemically enhanced fertilisers are required for better growth of the crops.
Organic farming helps improve the soil’s fertility, which helps to grow other crops.	With an increase in the number of pest attacks and a constant rise in the consumption of food; protecting the crops against pests becomes crucial, which calls for the use of pesticides with upgraded strength.

Appeal: Say 'No to Junk Food'

Don't eat junk food because it can cause many health issues like:

Obesity
Gastrointestinal Problems
Heart Problems

Choose your health over convenience and go the organic way!

Activities for Self Study:

Plant the seed of a flower or fruit of your choice in a pot or in your garden. Note its growth every day and maintain a diary recording its progress.
Find out more career opportunities in the field of agriculture, organic farming, sales, storage, distribution, and marketing research.

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Chapter 1.3: The Call of the Soil Balbharati solutions for English Yuvakbharati 11th Standard Maharashtra State Board