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Q. 1. Read the section to answer the question briefly:

(a) What aspects of ancient India fill Nehru with pride and wonder? List four such aspects.

Ans: Following aspects of ancient India fill Nehru with pride and wonder.

(i) strong and energetic race;

(ii) eager to know i.e. spirit of curiosity;

(iii) mature and tolerant civilization;

(iv) forever searching for truth and spiritual knowledge.

(b) Did the situation in India change for the better or worse? Give three reasons to support your answer. 

Ans: The situation in India changed for the worse.

(i) Old age and bad temper gained ground in the place of the freshness and youth.

(ii) Broad-minded vision disappeared and narrow caste divisions and customs became more important. 

(iii) Mughals and Islams invaded India.

(c) What saved India from complete deterioration? Give two reasons.

Ans: 1. India’s adaptability towards great changes and influences. 

2. India never forget her past glories and traditions.

This saved India from complete deterioration.

(d) What negative effect have Western invasion had on our country? Did it have any positive effect too? If so, what? 

Ans: Western invasions exploited our people as well as resources. But on the other hand it inculcated fresh European ideas and knowledge. Also European brought industrial revolution in India.

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Q. 1. Say whether the following statements are True and False: 

(a) Nehru is making this speech in a period of stability many years after India won her independence.

Ans: False.

(b) There is confusion and worry in Nehru’s mind about the best way forward.

Ans: True.

(c) Nehru is against change.

Ans: False.

(d) Nehru is man of science and has faith in the powers of technology.

Ans: True.

(e) Nehru does not want a complete break with the rich traditions of the past.

Ans: True.

Q. 2. Answer the following questions briefly: 

(a) As the Prime Minister of the country, what are the major tasks that Nehru faces?

Ans: The major tasks that Nehru faces are: 

(i) To choose the best structures leading the country to prosperity as well as progress.

(ii) To make the people aware ie, to stir people to take action and bring change.

(b) What makes Nehru’s task difficult? 

Ans: Disturbance and confusion of the time made the tasks of Nehru difficult. Also mental conflict that was caused by flying to retain both old values and spirit and material progress, made Nehru’s task much difficult.

(c) What model of change does Gandhiji provide?

Ans: Gandhiji’s model provides both continuity as well as change. It uses truth and peaceful ways to bring about revolutionary changes. Gandhiji used those methods which are Indian origin.

(d) Is Nehru for continuity and/or change? Pick out words and phrases from the text in support of your answer.

Ans: Nehru wants both continuity as well as change. His sentence to deny the past and break with it completely is to uproot ourselves and sapless, dry up’ denotes the importance of past to him. Also his praise of Gandhiji’s revolutionary work shows that how much importance Nehru gives to change. 

(e) What role does Nehru give to science and technology?

Ans: According to Nehru, science and technology will be able to solve the problem of providing primary necessities of life to everyone all over the world.

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Q. 1. The table below presents the two opposing trends that co-exist in modern India. Re-read the section to fill in the blank spaces in the table: 

Positive Trends.    

(i) Hope

(ii) ______

(iii) ______

(iv) growing unity

Negative trends

(i) _____ 

(ii) Inertia

(iii) practise old rituals and narrow customs

(iv) ______.

Ans: Positive Trends: (i) remarkable advances (iii) adopt a new sport.

Negative Trends : (i) anguish (iv) many disruptive tendencies. 

Q. 2. Answer the following questions briefly:

(a) What does Nehru find most remarkable about people now?

Ans: Nehru finds that people who refused to change in the past are now coming forward with great endeavour and determination.

(b) What is Nehru’s vision of India in the future?

Ans: Nehru’s vision of India is of a prosperous one with material progress for her vast population. Besides he hopes that conflicts that take place in the name of religion, caste or region should stop. He wants India to be vibrant, and a socialist i.e. society must not be bounded in the walls of caste, creed, class or religion.

Q. 3. Choose words from the list below to describe the mood of Nehru’s speech: 

Light-hearted, thoughtful, sad, optimistic, angry, unconcerned, balanced.

Ans: Following words describe the mood of Nehru’s speech.

thoughtful, optimistic, balanced.

Q. 4. What can you tell about the times in which Nehru made this speech? 

Ans: The times in which Nehru made this speech were the times of conflict and confusion among Indians on the basis of caste, religion and region. 

Q. 5. What do we learn about Nehru from this speech?

Ans: We learn that Nehru has a deep knowledge of Indian history and does not speak in rough language. He seems to be concerned. Besides it appears that he is a man of broad thinking and of science and technology. In his thoughts we can see fusion of history as well as of science and technology.

Q. 6. Describe in about five sentences Nehru’s vision of future India. 

Ans: 1. Standard of living will be raised.

2. Narrow conflicts in the name of class, caste or religion will not be anywhere in India. 

3. People will welcome science and technology.

4. Every individual will get full opportunity to grow according to his worth and ability. 

5. Their will neither be democracy nor socialism on the basis of caste.

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Opposite Words / Antonyms:

In this speech by Nehru, there are many pairs of opposite or nearly opposite words e.g. advance-inertia. Find the antonyms (the opposites) of the following from the speech. 

Exercise 1

Improvement, fresh, weakness, timidity, forward, near, future, spiritual, cabined.

Ans: 

Exercise 2

In the following list, there are words and their antonyms in a jumbled order. Find the pairs and write them in a table format: persuade, work, brief, dissuade, inhuman, failure, play, human, agree, extended, disagree, success, social, bright, praise, dark, criticise, soften, antisocial,harden.

Ans:

Exercise 3

Use words from above to fill in the blanks. Make necessary changes in the form of the words to make your sentences grammatically correct:

(i) Even hardened criminals can be ____  by praise; ____  only hardens them further.

Ans: softened; criticism.

(ii) The meeting began on a bright and happy note. Unfortunately, as the ____  increased, the mood became ____  and angry.

Ans: disagreement; dark.

(iii) Don’t be sad because you have failed.  ____ is the stepping stone to ____.

Ans: failure; success.

(iv) Sometimes humans behave in an ____  way. They forget all rules of social behaviour and use ___ ways.

Ans: inhuman; anti-social.