1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Explanation:
Valli enjoyed spending her leisure time by standing at the front of her house and observing the activities happening in the street.
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Explanation:
Valli found great pleasure in seeing the bus that passed through her village on its way to the nearest town, filled with a fresh set of passengers every time it went by her house. Her greatest aspiration was to one day have the opportunity to ride on the bus.
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Explanation:
Valli learned that the distance between her village and the nearest town was six miles and the duration of the bus journey was around forty-five minutes. She acquired this knowledge by attentively listening to the discussions of her neighbors and the frequent bus travelers, and by asking some questions to gather additional information and specifics regarding the bus journey.
4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Explanation:
It can be inferred that Valli was intending to take a round trip on the bus, by paying a fare of thirty paise for the onward and return journey. With the knowledge that the bus journey would take around forty-five minutes to reach the town, she aimed to board the bus at one o’clock in the afternoon, arrive at the town by 1.45 p.m. and return home by 2.45 p.m, thus enabling her to complete the entire trip in a single afternoon.
5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Explanation:
The conductor addressed Valli as 'madam' as he was impressed by her confident and clever behavior, such as refusing his offer of assistance to board the bus and promptly responding to his queries. Finding her conduct amusing, the conductor teased Valli by calling her 'madam'.
6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Explanation:
Valli stood up on the seat to get a better view of the scenic landscape outside the bus. However, her vision was obstructed by the canvas blind covering the lower part of the window. To overcome this obstacle, she stood on the seat and looked over the blind. From her elevated vantage point, Valli could see the picturesque scenery that included a narrow road along the canal bank, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains, green fields, and the blue sky. On the other side, there was a deep ditch, and vast acres of lush green fields that extended as far as her eyes could see.
7. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
7. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Explanation:
When the elderly man addressed Valli as a child, she promptly retorted that there was no child present on the bus, and reiterated that she had paid her fare of thirty paise, just like any other passenger on the bus.
8. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
8. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Explanation:
Valli found the appearance and habits of the elderly woman unappealing and unhygienic, as she had big earlobes with large holes, wore unattractive earrings, and was chewing betel nut. Therefore, she did not feel inclined to befriend her.
9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Explanation:
Valli saved every small amount of money that she could get her hands on to accumulate the required fare for the bus trip. She had to make a lot of effort to control her impulses and not spend her money on frivolous things like toys and candies. It was not an easy task for her, but after a lot of sacrifice, she managed to save sixty paise for her first bus journey.
10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Explanation:
Valli was overjoyed upon seeing a young cow, tail high in the air, running very fast right in the middle of the road just in front of the bus. The driver sounded his horn loudly repeatedly so that the cow moved away from the path. But the more he honked, the cow became more frightened and galloped as fast as possible. Seeing all this, it appeared very funny to Valli, and she laughed out loud until tears rolled down her eyes.
11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Explanation:
Valli did not intend to explore the town, she only wanted to take the bus ride. She had saved up just enough money for the onward and return bus journey, with a fare of thirty paise each way. Therefore, she did not plan to get off the bus at the bus station as she neither had the time nor the funds to wander around the town.
12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Explanation:
Valli declined the suggestion to go to the stall because she had saved up her money specifically for the bus journey and did not want to spend it on anything else. She was determined to return home on the same bus and did not want to waste any money unnecessarily. This reveals that Valli was a self-reliant and independent individual who preferred to take care of her own needs.
13. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
13. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Explanation:
Valli had a strong longing to experience a bus ride, which was a source of immense happiness for her. This is evident from the phrases such as ‘overwhelming desire’, ‘unending joy’, ‘staring wistfully’ and ‘igniting her hopes and dreams’ used in the story.
14. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
14. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Explanation:
Valli planned her bus ride by listening carefully to the conversations of her neighbours and the people who regularly used the bus. From them, she found out that the bus charged thirty paise as fare for the onward journey to the town, which was six miles away from her village, and the trip took forty-five minutes. Valli planned to stay on the bus and return on the same bus, which required her to save sixty paise for the fare. She resisted all kinds of urges and temptations to save money for the trip, such as buying peppermints, toys, and even riding the merry-go-round at the village fair. Her bus trip was a secret adventure that she had planned without her parents' knowledge.
15. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised ______________________________.
(ii) “Yes, I __________________ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here ______________________,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ___________________. You don’t have to help me. ”I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, ___________________________________.
(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I ___________________________,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope _________________________.”
15. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised ______________________________.
(ii) “Yes, I __________________ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here ______________________,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ___________________. You don’t have to help me. ”I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, ___________________________________.
(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I ___________________________,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope _________________________.”
Explanation:
Vali was self-assured and determined girl and determined girl who was not afraid to travel to the town at the age of eight. She considered herself mature enough to undertake the journey independently, and her action demonstrated her confidence in herself.
i) ”Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” and a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
ii) “Yes, I simply have to go to town, “said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
iii)”There’s nobody here who’s a child,” she said haughtily. “I’ve my thirty paise like everybody else.”
iv) “Never mind,” she said, I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me. “ I am not a child, I tell you, she said irritably.
v)”You needn’t bother about me. I can take care of myself , “Valli said tiring her face toward the window and staring out.
vii) Then she turned to she to conductor and said. “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.
16. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
16. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Explanation:
The reason behind the conductor calling Valli ‘madam’ was that she acted like an adult and didn't like being referred to as a child. Even though she was only eight years old, she was confident enough to travel alone on the bus and refused the conductor's help to get on board. She showed her independence by insisting that she could manage to get on the bus by herself.
17. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
17. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Explanation:
Identify the sentences in the given text that suggest Valli enjoyed her bus journey:
Valli showed her delight throughout the bus journey. The following sentences from the text indicate her happiness:
“Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”
“The road was very narrow. On one side, there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields — green, green, green, as far as the eye could see.”
“Oh, it was all so wonderful!”
“Everyone laughed, and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter.”
“Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands with glee. A young cow, tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in the middle of the road, right in front of the bus.”
“Somehow, this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.”
“Valli wasn’t bored in the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she’d felt the first time.”
18. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
18. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Explanation:
Valli did not want to look out of the window on her way back to the village due to the distressing sight of a dead cow she had seen earlier on her journey towards the town. The cow had been hit by a vehicle, and the memory of it had made her sad and fearful to look outside.
Question:
What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge”.
Explanation:
Valli agrees with her mother's statement about things happening without their knowledge because she had taken an adventurous bus trip to the town without her parents' permission and was pleased with the experience.
19. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
19. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Explanation:
The author presents various descriptions and details from the perspective of an eight-year-old child. For instance, the author describes how Valli was fascinated by the bus and the color and look of it, as well as her excitement at traveling in a luxurious bus for the first time. The author also uses phrases like "the blue, blue sky" and "acres and acres of green fields" to capture the enthusiasm and wonder of a child. Valli's reactions to seeing the cow running in front of the bus and the dead cow later on also reflect a typical child's emotional responses.
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