PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Support Document
Subject: English Std: X Topic: Glimpses of India-Tea from Assam

Summary
 This is a very short description of Assam, a North-Eastern State of India. This state is
famous for its tea plantations. In this extract Pranjol, a youngster from Assam is
Rajvir’s classmate at a school in Delhi. Pranjol’s father is the manager of a tea-garden
in Upper Assam and Pranjol has invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer
vacation.
Vocabulary:
Word Meaning
ardent Strong
dwarfing making others look small
billowing out coming out
scoffed Laughed
ascetic Monk
banished removed
veered Moved
pruned Cut
second-flush second season

1. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. How does Rajvir describe the tea-garden at Dhekiabari?
On both sides of the gravel road were acres and acres of neatly
pruned tea bushes. It was the second sprouting period. Women
wearing plastic apronswere plucking new tea leaves and putting them
in the bamboo baskets.
2. What information was given by Pranjol’s father to Rajvir about Assam Tea Estate?
Pranjol’s father was the manager of a tea garden in upper Assam. He
showed Pranjol and Rajvir the acres of tea bushes, all neatly pruned to
the same height. Groups of women pluckers with bamboo baskets were
plucking the newly sprouted leaves.
3. What is the Chinese legend about the discovery of tea?
A Chinese emperor had the habit of drinking boiled water. One day
a twig fell into the pot in which water was being boiled. It gave a
delicious flavor to the water. It is said that those were tea leaves.
4. What is the Indian/Buddhist legend about the discovery of tea?

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 Once there was a Buddhist, ascetic Bodhidharma who used to feel
sleepy during meditations. So he cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants
grew out of the eyelids. When the leaves of these plants were put in
hot water and drunk, they banished sleep.
5. What did Rajvir see when he entered the Tea Estate?
Rajvir was amazed to see huge fields full of green plantations. There
were vast green tea gardens on both sides of the road. The tall trees
at the back of the gardens, in the forest on the rolling hills, looked
beautiful.
6. Who were Pranjol and Rajvir? Where were they going?
Pranjol and Rajvir were friends. Pranjol belonged to Assam. He was
studying in a school in Delhi. Rajvir was his classmate. Pranjol’s
father was the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. Pranjol
invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation. Both of
them travelled to Assam on a train.
7. How and where are tea leaves collected in Assam?
All the bushes are pruned to the same height. Groups of tea pluckers
carry bamboo baskets on their back to collect tea-leaves. They wear
plastic aprons. They pluck the newly-sprouted tea leaves from, the
bushes. Then the leaves are dried and processed in factories.
2. Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:
What did Rajvir see during his train journey.’ by was he more excited than his
friend Pranjol?
Rajvir, a classmate of Pranjol, is visiting Dhekiaban Tea Estate in Assam, for
the first time. Actually, he is enjoying the train journey to Assam with his
friend Pranjol whose father manages Dhekiabari Tea Estate. The beautiful
scenery fascinates Rajvir. It is green, green everywhere. He sees so much
greenery for the first time in his life. Now the landscape changes. The paddy
fields give way to tea bushes. A sea of tea bushes is stretching as far as eyes
can go. The orderly rows of bushes are pruned to the same height. Groups of
tea pluckers are carrying bamboo baskets on their backs. They are plucking
the newly sprouted leaves. The magnificent view fascinates Rajvir. However,
Pranjol is not so much excited. These views are not new to him. He was
born and brought up on a tea plantation.

Questions from the text book. Thinking About Language

1. Look at these words: upkeep, downpour, undergo, dropout, walk-in. They

are built up from a verb (keep, pour, go, drop, walk) and an adverb or a
particle (up, down, under, out, in).
Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a
dictionary.
(i) A heavy downpour has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of

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 Bengal.
(ii) Rakesh will undergo major surgery tomorrow morning.
(iii) My brother is responsible for the upkeep of our family property.
(iv) The dropout rate for this accountancy course is very high.
(v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a walk-in interview.
2. Now fill in the blanks in the sentences given below by combining the verb
given in brackets with one of the words from the box as appropriate.

(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government.

(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research.

(iii) The State Government plans to build a bypass for Bhubaneswar to speed
up traffic on the main highway. (pass)

(iv) Gautama’s outlook on life changed when he realised that the world is full
of sorrow.

(v) Rakesh seemed unusually downcast after the game.

3. Think of suitable -ing or -ed adjectives to answer the following questions.
You may also use words from those given above.
How would you describe
(i) a good detective serial on television? Interesting
(ii) a debate on your favourite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’? Exciting
(iii) how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain? Bored
(iv) how you feel when you open a present? Excited
(v) how you feel when you watch your favourite programme on
television? Interested
(vi) the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue? Fatigued
(vii) how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest? Thrilled
(viii) the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen? Interesting
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