Question

Ask your classmate or teacher to read aloud the following passage from the text ‘Glimpses of India’ (First Flight, Class X textbook). Listen carefully, and note down the keywords, main ideas and interesting expressions in your notebook while listening. During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so? Was it for the love of the loaf? Not at all. The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the house! What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Sometimes it was sweet bread of a special kind. The baker made his musical entry on the scene with the ‘jhang, jhang—sound of his specially made bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house with a “Good morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves; loaves for the elders and the bangles for the children. Then we did not even care to brush our teeth or wash our mouths properly. And why should we? Who would take the trouble of plucking the mango leaf for the toothbrush? And why was it necessary at all? The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all! Now summarise the paragraph using your notes.

Answer 1

Explanation:

The baker used to be the childhood friend, guide and companion. He used to sell huge basket of loaves and comes back with empty hand. Bastine or Paskine, the house’s maid-servant used to bring the loaves. The bread-bangles are chosen carefully, and sweet bread sometimes. While entering, the greets the house with a “Good Morning”. We used to eat even without brushing our teeth or washing the mouth. Just like the tiger that doesn’t brush the teeth, we would just wash and clean the mouth with hot tea.