Std. XI (Prose) 1.3 The Call of the Soil- A scent of Rice - Analysis
1.3 The Call of the Soil
A Scent of Rice
Ice Breakers
Activity:- Discuss the following with your partner and complete the following sentences. One is done for you.
(a) Before eating apples brought from the market, I wash and peel them off.
(b) In a farmers’ market, we find vegetables and fruits.
(c) Food adulteration means adding small quantity of non – nutritious substances intentionally to improve the appearance, texture or storage properties of the food.
(d) Organic food is grown by using natural materials, methods and conditions.
(e) Organic fertilizer means 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
Complete the following web diagram:
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 the vegetables or fruit | Shape | Colour | Taste |
Mango | Oval, heart shaped | Green – yellow | Sweet |
Banana | C - shape | Green - yellow | Sweet |
Lady’s finger | Oblong | Green | Crunchy |
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 | Produce lesser quantities of food |
2 | Less manual labour | More manual labour |
3 | Extra use of chemicals and pesticides may affect eco system | More ecological and good for health |
Activity :- 1) Guess the meaning of the word ‘lush’ in this context.
Answer:- Meaning of the word ‘lush’:- rich, prolific or luxuriant
Activity :-2) Find words related to agriculture.
Answer:- Words related to agriculture:- green pods, crop, farmer, sowing, seeds, plough, farming, tractor, yield, chemical sprays, fertilizers, hybrid and desi variety, rice, moong etc.
Activity :-3) The write 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.
Activity :-4) The writer wanted to grow the traditional variety of rice because----1)------2)-----
Answer:-
1) The traditional varieties were quite strong and resisted pests.
2) They did not need very high inputs of fertilizers.
Activity :-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 the he almost gave up hope of finding the desi variety of rice.
Activity :-6) Mention the varieties of rice from the passage.
Answer:- 1) Kasbai 2) Basmati
Activity :-7) List ways in which the Government officer cooperated with the author.
1)----------------2)-----------3)--------------
Answer:-
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.
Activity :- 8) Find synonyms for ‘insipid’.
Answer:- tasteless or flavourless.
Brainstorming
(A1) (i) Read the extract and state whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) Growing in abundance is more important than the quality of the crop.
Answer:- False : Quality should be given more important.
(b) The author wanted to grow the desi variety of rice.
Answer:- True
(c) The author did not succeed in finding Kasbai.
Answer:- False : The author finally succeeded in finding Kasbai at Asarvari village.
(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
Activity:- Complete the flow chart. Consider this as an example of
Note-Making.
Discovery of Kasbai rice.
Activity :- Read the text and fill in the blanks. One is done for you.
(a) The author wanted to grow organic moong.
(b) Moru Dada wanted to spray pesticides on the moong crop.
(c) Baban’s father and some elders mentioned the name of Kasbai, the desi rice variety.
(d) “Hybrids need more water, fertilizers and pesticides”, said Devu Handa.
(e) The author bought 10 kilos of rice from an Adivasi woman who lived in remote hills.
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