Oral Comprehension Check
Page 119

Question 1.
What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Answer:
Valli’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house and looking at the street outside.

Question 2.
What was the source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Answer:
The sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus.

Question 3.
What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find these details?
Answer:
Valli found out that the bus journey to the town took 45 minutes and the one-way fare costed 30 paisa. She listened carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey.

Question 4.
What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Answer:
Valli was planning to go to the town and then return back by the same bus. The fare was 30 paise one way and the ride took forty five minutes. In this way, she planned that she would be back by 2:45 pm if shf took the bus at 1:00 pm.

Page 122
Question 1.
Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Answer:
The conductor called Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved like a woman. She declined his help and was very quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions. This made the conductor call him madam.

Question 2.
Why does Valli stand up on the seat?
(or)
What does she see now?
Answer:
Valli wanted to look outside the bus. She found her view blocked by the canvas blind that covered the lower part of the window. In order to have a better view she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. She saw a canal, palm trees, grassland, mountains, green fields and the sky.

Question 3.
What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Answer:
Valli replied that there was nobody in the bus who was a child. She told her that she had paid her fare of 30 paise like

Question 4.
Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Answer:
Valli did not wanted to make friends with the elderly woman because she looked quite repulsive. She had big earholes and was wearing ugly earrings. Apart from this, she was chewing betel and her mouth was also filled with betel juice.

Page 125

Question 1.
How did Valli save money for her first journey?Was it easy for her?
Answer:
Valli had very painstakingly saved every stray coins that came her way by resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. It had been very difficult for her. Even at the village fair she resisted the temptation to be on the merry-go-round. Thus, she had been able to save sixty paise for her first bus journey.

Question 2.
What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Answer:
Valli saw a young cow, tail high in the air running very fast right in the middle of the road in front of the bus. The driver sounded his horn again and again so that the cow moves away. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and faster it galloped. This all seemed very funny to Valli and she laughed and laughed till there were tears in her eyes.

Question 3.
Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Answer:
Valli had planned that she only wanted to ride on the bus. She would spend thirty paise on her fare, go to the town and then come back by the same bus before her mother woke up. She didn’t 1 time or money to go to see the town.

Question 4.
Why didn’t Valli want go to the stall have a drink? What does this tell yo about her?
Answer:
Valli had saved only sixty paise for the trip.
She didn’t want to waste any money on the as she had to come back by the same bus at any cost. So, when the conductor suggested her to get down and have a drink she refused. He offet bring one for her but she still refused. This i that she was a well-mannered girl.

Thinking About The Text
(Page 127)

Question 1.
What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Answer:
Valli’s deepest desire was to go on a bus ride. The words and phrases in the story that tell this are ‘source of unending joy’, ‘stare wistfully’, and ‘kindle in her longings, dreams and hopes’.

Question 2.
How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Answer:
Over many days and months, Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few discreet questions here and there. She came to know that the town was six miles from her village, the bus fare was thirty paise and the bus trip took forty-five minutes. She also thought that if she stayed in the bus and came back by the same bus it would only cost her sixty paise. She painstaking saved each and every penny she got, resisting all temptation to buy peppermints, toys, etc and even a ride on the merry-go-round at the village annual fair so as to save sixty paise. It was a secret trip which she had planned without the knowledge of her parents.

Question 3.
What kind of 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.
Answer:
Valli was a confident girl who did not think that her age was a limitation to her travelling alone to the town. She considered herself a grown up and acted like one.

Question 4.
Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘Madam’?
Answer:
The conductor called Valli ‘Madam’ as she behaved like a grown up and did not think that she was a child. She also refused his help and told him that she can manage on her own.

Question 5.
Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Answer:
Valli thoroughly enjoyed her ride in the bus. The following lines from the text tell us about it. She saw so many things on her way-a canal, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains. “Oh! it was all so wonderful,” that’s what she felt. “Sometimes the bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming towards them or a pedestrian crossing the road. Somehow it passed smoothly, leaving all obstacles behind and then she saw a cow running very fast, infront of the bus. This all seemed very funny ro Valli and she laughed and laughed till tears flowed from her eyes.”

Question 6.
Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Answer:
Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back as she saw the dead body of the cow who was running towards the bus when she was going to town. This made her sad and frightened.

Question 7.
What does Valli means when she says… “I was just agreeing with you what you said about things happening without our knowledge”.
Answer:
While making this statement, Valli was trying to hide the fact about her bus ride. She was also feeling elated at making a successful attempt at her plan.

Question 8.
The author describes the things that Valli sees from an 8 years old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for his statement?
Answer:
Yes, for example when the author says, ‘she was fascinated by the bus’ and ‘watching the bus fill with a new set of people each time was a source of unending joy for her’. When the author describes the bus, he stresses on the colour and look of the new bus ‘like silver’ because a child is attracted towards colour. ‘The seats were soft and luxurious’. The description that the author gives when Valli looked outside are also typical of a 8 year old. ‘The blue sky’ and ‘acres and acres of green field’, show the enthusiasm a child. A cow running in front of the bus fascinated the child whereas the sight of dead cow brought tears in her eyes and she refused to look outside the window on her return journey. This’also describes the behaviour of an 8 year old child aptly.

Writing
(Page 128)

Question 1.
Have you ever planned something entirely on.your own, without taking grown ups into your confidence? What did you plan and how? Did you carry out your plan?
Answer:
It was during my summer vacations. I wanted to plan a special birthday for my mother. So, I roped in my younger sister in my plan to celebrate her birthday. We saved our pocket money and didn’t go for our weekly outings for some time. In this way, we were able to save five hundred rupees for the birthday party. Now, we had to arrange everything without our mother’s knowledge. On her birthday we pretended as if we didn’t remember her birthday at all. Instead we requested our father to take her to the market. In the meantime, we arranged everything like cake, decorations, flowers and even invited two of her best friends. When she came back she was surprised. It was the best birthday she ever had in her life.

Question 2.
Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?
Answer:
I have gone on many trips and excursions, but one journey which I can’t forget is my trip to Hemkund and Badrinath. The scenery over there was mesmerising and as you leave Delhi, you enjoy cool fresh air and see breath taking lush green fields. The bus ride takes you on winding narrow roads, with river flowing on one side and mountains on the other side. To reach Hemkund Sahib, one has to travel 14 kms by foot. Everywhere there are crowds of devotees, chanting holy names and moving up the hill. When I reached the shrine, it was enveloped in clouds. The water in the holy tank was ice cold. The moment you step in it your tiredness vanishes. After that we went to Badrinath by bus. It was also a very nice place. There were many hot springs over there.

Question 3.
Are you concerned about traffic and road safety? What are you concerns? How would you make road travel safer and more enjoyable?
Answer:
India has a wide network of roads. Everyday crores of Indians travel on these road by bus, car, cycle, cycle rickshaw, scooter, moped, truck, etc. Even pedestrians use these roads. As people don’t follow road safety rules, every year many people lose their lives due to fatal road accidents. It is also seen that 90 per cent of these fatal accidents involve youngsters who like to drive at very high speed, don’t wear helmets and seat belt, talk on mobiles while driving or love to do stunts inspired by movies. Despite many directions issued by the traffic police all their advice falls on deaf year. It is our duty to follow all the rules and regulations and to keep safety measures in our mind while driving. Safe driving is best driving and the rules are framed keeping our security in mind:

Class 10 English Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus Important Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Who was Valli?

Answer: Valli was the short name of Valliamai. She was an eight year old girl who was very curious.

Question 2. What kind of a person was Valli?

Answer: Valli was a curious, keen observer who had strong will power and determination. She was bold, brave and self-respective! She had immense self confidence and wanted to do everything on her own. she was innocent, highly sensitive, intelligent and was a very careful planner.

Question 3. Why did Valli kept standing infront of the door?

Answer: Valli kept standing infront of the door as there were no playmates of her age on her street. So, she used to keep on watching the street outside her house.

Question 4. What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street?

Answer: The most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back.

Question 5. Why did Valli want to ride on the bus?

Answer: Valli used to watch the bus on its hourly rounds through her street everyday. The sight of the bus filled with new passengers every time gave her unending joy. She was curious and wished to ride it once. So, she wanted to ride on the bus to enjoy it.

Question 6. How did Valli plan for her first journey?

Answer: Valli made careful and painstaking plans for her first journey. She saved every penny, cut down on her expenses and resisted all the temptations to save sixty paise for the fare. She gathered the information from the passengers and neighbours. She calculated the time required and chose afternoon, as her mother would take a nap during that time. All this shows that she was a meticulous planner.

Question 7. What did Valli do after she got into the bus?

Answer: She got into the bus and she looked at everything very thoroughly. When she looked outside she found her view cut off by the canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood upon the seat and peered over the blind.

Question 8. What did the Valli find when she entered her house after the ride from the bus?

Answer: Valli entered her house after the ride from the bus. Her mother was awake and talking to one of her aunts. She was from the South Street and was a real chatterbox. She would never close her mouth once she started talking.

Question 9. What did Valli see out of the window on her first journey?

Answer: Valli saw the nature’s grandeur out of the bus window. She saw the. green bank of a canal with the palm trees and mountains in the background and the blue sky. On the other side, she saw a deep ditch and green fields. She saw other vehicles, a young cow running in front of the bus. She later saw it dead.

Question 10. How did Valli arrange for her bus fare?

Answer: Valli arranged for her bus fare meticulously. For her first journey outside the village, Valli needed sixty paise to the two way fare of the bus. She needed some knowledge and ample time. She saved the money herself, collected the information from the passengers and utilized the time of her mother’s nap for it.

Question 11. Where was the town located? What was the fare to travel there by bus?

Answer: The town was located six miles from Valli’s village. The fare to travel to town by bus was thirty paise for one way.

Question 12. What did Valli kept on planning and calculating continuously?

Answer: Vails kept on planning and calculating which bus to take, how much time it will take to reach the town and the fare that would be required in completing her journey.

Question 13. How was the view outside the bus when it went through the canal? [CBSE 2015]
Answer: On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields.

Question 14. Why did the conductor wanted Valli to sit?

Answer: The conductor initially told Valli that as she has paid for the ticket, she should sit. When she refused he told her that she may fall and hurt herself when the bus takes a sharp turn.

Question 15. Why didn’t Valli want to talk to the elderly woman?

Answer: The elderly woman was wearing ugly earrings and was chewing betel nut. The betel juice was about to seep out of her mouth. Valli found all this repulsive and hence did not wanted to talk to her

Question 16. What questions did the old woman ask Valli?

Answer: The old woman asked Valli if she was travelling alone. She also asked her whether she knew where exactly she had to go in the town.

Question 17. How did Valli manage to travel by bus without the knowledge of her mother?

Answer: Valli managed to travel by bus without the knowledge of her mother as she was asleep when Valli went out.

Question 18. How did Valli feel on seeing the dead cow on the road? [CBSE 2014]

Answer: Valli was filled with sadness. She thought what had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little while ago had now suddenly lost its charm and its life and looked so horrible and frightening.

Question 19. What did Valli see when she reached home?

Answer: On reaching back home Valli saw that her mother was awake and talking to one of her aunts.

Question 20. What did Valli’s mother say about the things happening without her knowledge?

Answer: Valli’s mother said that so many things happen amidst us and in the world outside. We cannot know everything. When we know about something we often cannot understand it completely.

Question 21. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

Answer: Valli was a Tamil girl. She had no playmates. It was her favourite pastime to stand in the doorway of her house. Thus she was able to watch all that was going on there. In a way she had attained too many unusual experiences.

Question 22. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

Answer: Valli was deeply attracted towards the bus. She had the strongest desire to ride in it. It travelled between Her village and the nearest town at an interval of an hour. The sight of the bus and passengers had been the source of unending joy for her.

Question 23. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

Answer: The conductor was a jolly sort of fellow. He was much fond of joking. He had judged the temperament of this small child. It was only to please her, he called her Valli ‘madam’.

Question 24. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?

Answer: Valli stands up on her seat. She has a keen desire to see everything with her own eyes. So she starts to look outside. She sees that the bus is going along the bank of a canal. The road is very narrow. Beyond it were the palm trees, mountains and fields etc.

Question 25. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?

Answer: Valli was a very smart girl. She had a superiority complex in her mind. She did not want herself to be called a child. On hearing herself as a child, she answered that there was no child. She had paid thirty paise like everyone else.

Question 26. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?

Answer: By chance there came a young cow right in front of the running bus. The driver slowed it down. He sounded the horn very loudly time and again. But the more he honked, the more the cow was frightened and galloped faster. This made Valli laugh.

Question 27. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?

Answer: When the bus terminated at the bus station, Valli did not get off. The conductor asked her to get off. She replied that she would turn back by the same bus. She even refused to see the sights and the cold drink. She was afraid to move alone.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. In such a fast moving world when we hear so many incidents happening with people, do you think Valli did right by not telling her mother about the bus journey?  [CBSE 2015]

Answer: No, I don’t think that Valli did the right thing in travelling alone to the town without informing her mother. By doing this, she put herself in a vulnerable position as she could have easily been a victim of child abuse had she come in contact with wrong people. In fact, she was lucky to return home safely.

Children should always travel along with their parents or elders as they are easy targets for criminals. We hear a lot of instances of crime committed against children these days like kidnapping, child abuse, molestation, rape etc. Valli could have expressed her desire of travelling in the bus to her mother. I am sure that her mother would have fulfilled her wish by talking her on a bus ride.

Question 2. The people and surroundings are a great book to learn. Valli in the lesson ‘Madam Rides The Bus learns a lot from others. Mention the traits of her character which help her to learn from her surroundings.

Answer: Valli dreamt of riding on the bus. Her eagerness to fulfill her dream fired her curiosity. This curiousness led her to listen to the conversations of people going on the bus ride and asking discreet questions so that she could gather as much information as she can regarding the bus journey.

On the bus journey, Valli acted confidently and behaved maturely. She did not consider herself to be any less than an adult. She was focused on fulfilling her dream and did not get tempted to go outside the bus and explore the town when the bus reached the town.

On the return journey, she learnt about death when she came to terms with the dead cow. This made her aware of the fact that death is a part of life and should be accepted as it is a natural phenomenon. Thus, the bus journey made her learn a lot of things.

Question 3. Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great. Which characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender age?    [CBSE 2014]

Answer: In today’s era, age is no more a barrier. Children are doing wonders at a very young age. Same goes with Valli. At an age of 8 years, Valli was able to pursue her dream all alone by travelling in the bus to town. She was no different from others, except that she had certain characteristics that made her fulfil her dreams. Valli was a very confident and a bold girl. She had a knowledge of proper planning and execution. She controlled her wishes to save money for the bus ride. Also, she was a very good observer and learner. All these qualities made her realise the dream of visiting the town. Hence, one should always remember that there is no age to learn and experience new things.

Question 4. What kind of person is Valli? Illustrate your answer from the text that you have read.  [CBSE 2012]

Answer: Valli was a determined, confident and brave girl. She was also a good planner and executioner. She sacrificed a lot of things to achieve her dream. For example, she curbed the temptation to buy sweets and riding on the merry-go-round in the fair so that she could save money for the bus ride. Sacrificing all these things at such a tender age is very difficult for a child. She also behaved confidently in the bus and did not get bobbed down in the presence of elders.
When the bus reached the town, Valli did not succumb to the temptation of going out to explore the town or having a drink. She did this as she had a limited amount of money which she wanted to save for her return journey. So, Valli used her money wisely. When the conductor offered her a drink, she showed good manners in refusing to have it.