CBSE Class 11 English — NCERT Solutions

The three phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother are:

Phase 1 — In the village (childhood):
The author and his grandmother shared a very close and intimate bond. She would wake him up, help him get ready for school, and accompany him to the village school. She would sit outside the classroom reading the scriptures while he studied. They were almost inseparable companions.

Phase 2 — In the city school:
When they moved to the city, the author went to an English-medium school by a motor bus. The grandmother could no longer accompany him. She was disturbed by the new curriculum — English, Western science, and the absence of religious teaching. The bond began to loosen, though she still spent time with him in the afternoons.

Phase 3 — At the university (living in the hostel):
When the author was given a room of his own in the university, the common link of their being together was snapped. They rarely met. The relationship became distant, though the grandmother never showed any bitterness. She spent her time spinning, praying, and feeding sparrows.

The three reasons why the author's grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school are:

1. No religious education: The city school did not teach the children about God or the scriptures. The grandmother believed that education without religious instruction was incomplete and morally wrong.

2. Teaching of music: The school taught music, which the grandmother considered unbecoming and improper. She associated music with 'nautch girls' and beggars, and felt it had no place in the education of respectable children.

3. No mention of God: The curriculum included English and Western science but made no mention of God. The grandmother felt that a school that did not teach children to pray or know God was doing them a disservice.

The story is interesting because of its warm humour, simple charm, and the characters like Mourad and Uncle Khosrove. The boys’ love for horses, Mourad’s crazy yet lovable nature, and the contrast between the family’s strict honesty and the theft of the horse create curiosity. The ending is also satisfying because it shows that the boys finally act according to their family’s value of honesty.

The boys kept the horse for some time, but in the end they returned it because they belonged to the Garoghlanian family, which was famous for its honesty. Mourad says, “Are you inviting a member of the Garoghlanian family to steal? The horse must go back to its true owner.” This shows they returned it because they felt it would be wrong to keep it, not because they were afraid.

Given: The story describes the captain's actions as a severe storm approached.

Steps taken by the captain to protect the ship when rough weather began:

1. The captain and his crew began to prepare the ship well in advance. They dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern of the ship to slow it down.
2. They double-lashed everything on the deck to make sure nothing would be swept away.
3. The captain put on life jackets for everyone on board as a safety measure.
4. He connected the life-lines (ropes tied to the crew members) so that no one would be washed overboard.
5. He pumped out the bilges (the lowest part of the ship where water collects) to keep the ship as light and stable as possible.

These steps show the captain's foresight and seamanship in preparing for the worst.

Given: After the massive wave hit the ship, water began flooding in rapidly.

Steps taken by the captain to check the flooding of water in the ship:

1. The captain found that the water was coming in through the main hatch and through a hole punched by the mast in the deck. He immediately tried to block these openings.
2. He stretched canvas and hammered in the hatch covers to seal the openings and prevent further ingress of water.
3. He used the electric pump and also operated the manual pump to remove the water that had already entered the ship.
4. He jettisoned (threw overboard) the broken mast and other debris to reduce weight and restore the ship's balance.
5. He blocked the gaps and broken parts of the ship as best as he could to make the vessel watertight again.

Through these combined efforts, the flooding was gradually brought under control.

Yes. The statement gives an important clue that the story is set after the War and that many people had not returned. It suggests that the narrator’s family had been displaced and that the belongings at Mrs Dorling’s house were being kept from the time before the War. The line also hints at the loss, separation, and uncertainty caused by war.

King Tut's body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny because his death has remained one of history's greatest mysteries. He died very young (around 19 years of age) under unknown circumstances. Archaeologists, historians, and scientists have been eager to determine the cause of his death — whether it was murder, accident, or illness. Additionally, as the last ruler of a powerful royal dynasty, his life and death hold immense historical significance. Each new advancement in technology (such as X-rays and CT scans) has prompted fresh examination of his mummy to uncover new clues about his life and death.

Given: The play 'Mother's Day' by J.B. Priestley is a satirical comedy written in the 1950s that deals with the role and status of a mother/housewife within the family.

(i) Issues raised by the play:

The play raises several important social issues:

1. Exploitation of the housewife/mother: Mrs. Pearson, the mother, is taken for granted by every member of her family — her husband George, her daughter Doris, and her son Cyril. She cooks, cleans, and serves them without receiving any appreciation or respect.

2. Lack of respect and gratitude: The family members treat Mrs. Pearson as a servant rather than as the heart of the household. They make demands on her time and energy without acknowledging her contribution.

3. The mother's loss of identity and self-worth: Mrs. Pearson has no time for herself. She is so busy fulfilling the needs of others that she has forgotten her own needs and desires.

4. Gender inequality within the domestic sphere: The play highlights how women, especially homemakers, are undervalued and their labour is considered invisible or unimportant.

5. The need for assertiveness: The play raises the issue of why women like Mrs. Pearson fail to assert themselves and demand the respect they deserve.

(ii) Caricature or genuine problems? Resolution and Agreement:

The play does caricature the issues to some extent — the characters of George, Doris, and Cyril are exaggerated to the point of being comic stereotypes of the selfish, inconsiderate family member. The method used to teach them a lesson (Mrs. Fitzgerald swapping personalities with Mrs. Pearson) is farcical and unrealistic.

However, the problems themselves are entirely genuine. Even today, millions of homemakers across the world face the same lack of recognition, respect, and appreciation. The issues of domestic exploitation and gender inequality within the family are very real and relevant.

Resolution: The play resolves the conflict by having Mrs. Fitzgerald (in Mrs. Pearson's body) firmly put the family members in their place — she refuses to make tea on demand, speaks sharply to Doris about her vanity, scolds Cyril for his laziness, and tells George some home truths. This shocks the family into realising how badly they have been treating Mrs. Pearson. By the end, the family is more considerate and Mrs. Pearson regains her confidence and self-respect.

Agreement with the resolution: The resolution is largely agreeable because it emphasises that respect must be demanded, not just expected. The family needed a shock to change their behaviour. However, one may argue that a more realistic and lasting solution would involve open communication and mutual understanding rather than a dramatic personality swap. The resolution is satisfying as a theatrical device but in real life, sustained change requires consistent effort from all family members.

Given: The question asks us to find lines from the text that justify calling the Earth an 'ailing' (sick) planet.

Lines that support the title:

The following lines from the text directly support the title:

1. "The earth's vital signs reveal a patient in declining health." — This line uses the metaphor of a sick patient to describe the Earth, directly supporting the word 'ailing'.

2. "We are living in the first period of human history for which the main threat to human progress is human activity." — This shows how human actions are harming the planet.

3. References to the depletion of the four principal biological systems — fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands — going beyond their sustainable yield indicate the planet is under severe stress.

4. The mention of the loss of natural forests, the spread of deserts, and the extinction of species all paint the picture of a planet that is sick and deteriorating.

Conclusion: All these lines collectively portray the Earth as an ailing (sick) planet, thus justifying the title.

Andrew says this because, after a long night of struggle, he has successfully saved the baby’s life. The child had been born apparently lifeless, and Andrew worked desperately with hot and cold baths, respiration, and rubbing until the baby finally breathed and cried. For Andrew, this is the first time in Blaenelly that he has achieved something of real, practical value as a doctor.

The words mean that he has done something meaningful and life-saving, not just routine or disappointing work. They also show a change in his feelings: earlier he was confused and depressed, but now he feels the deep satisfaction of having helped bring a life into the world.

The true statements are:

Statement 2: The story hinges on a particular historical event. ✓
The entire story revolves around the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) and speculates on what would have happened if its outcome had been different.

Statement 5: The story tries to relate history to science. ✓
Through the character of Rajendra Deshpande, the story connects the historical 'what if' scenario to scientific concepts like quantum theory, catastrophe theory, and the lack of determinism.

Why the others are false:

1. False — The story is a work of fiction involving a hypothetical/parallel world.
2. False — Rajendra Deshpande was a scientist (physicist), not a historian.
3. False — The places mentioned (Pune, Bombay, Azad Maidan, Panipat) are all real places in India.

Given: The poem 'The Tale of Melon City' by Vikram Seth narrates a comic tale of a king, his absurd decisions, and how a melon ends up ruling the kingdom.

Narration in own words:

Once upon a time there was a king who was considered 'just and placid.' He ordered that a triumphal arch be built across the public road so that it would elevate the minds of the people as they passed under it. However, when the arch was completed and the king rode under it, the arch was built so low that it knocked off his crown.

The king was furious and ordered that the chief of builders be hanged for this incompetence. The chief builder, however, blamed the workers. The workers, in turn, blamed the bricklayers. The bricklayers blamed the architect. The architect reminded the king that the king himself had made certain changes to the original plan. So the king was now in a dilemma — he could not hang himself.

A wise man (a sage) was summoned to resolve the matter. The sage, being very old and hard of hearing, could only say that the arch itself was guilty and should be hanged. The arch was accordingly sentenced to be hanged. However, a councillor pointed out that it would be an insult to hang an arch that had touched the royal head.

By this time, the crowd had grown restless and demanded that someone be hanged immediately. The king, in a panic, decided that the person whose neck fit the noose should be hanged. He himself was measured first and, unfortunately, his neck fit the noose perfectly. The king was thus hanged.

Now the kingdom needed a new king. According to the custom of that land, the next person to pass through the city gates would choose the new king. The next person to arrive happened to be an idiot who had only one thought in his mind — melons. When asked who should be the new king, he said 'A melon.' So a melon was crowned and placed on the throne as the new king.

The people of the kingdom were perfectly happy with this arrangement. They reasoned that as long as the king left them in peace and liberty, it did not matter whether the king was a man or a melon. The poem ends with the observation that the principles of laissez faire (non-interference) were well-established in that land.

Given: The chapter is a travelogue by Nick Middleton about his journey to Mount Kailash.

Reason: The author travels through the ancient Silk Road route — the historic trade and pilgrimage route that connected China with Central Asia, South Asia, and the West. His journey from Lhasa across the Tibetan plateau to Mount Kailash follows this legendary route. The landscape, the people (nomadic drokbas), the mastiffs, the salt flats, and the remote terrain are all characteristic of the Silk Road corridor. By titling the article 'Silk Road,' the author evokes the romance, history, and adventure associated with this ancient route, while also situating his personal pilgrimage within a larger geographical and cultural tradition.

The Sahara is the world’s largest desert, but beneath it lie vast aquifers of fresh fossil water. Around 6,000 years ago it was green and could support life, as shown by rock art of hippopotamuses. This green phase was caused by a shift in the paleo-monsoon, which moved north when Earth’s tilt and orbit increased summer sunlight over North Africa. About 5,000 years ago the monsoon shifted south again, the land dried, vegetation declined, and a runaway drying effect turned the Sahara into a desert by 4,000 years ago. Scientists are still unsure how future climate change may affect it.

The present-day supplies of coal and petroleum were laid down about 200 to 600 million years ago when tropical conditions were widespread. At that time there were lush, swampy forests with huge trees, and warm coastal seas full of microscopic life.

A suitable division of the article into four sections is:

1. Urban Decay — This section describes the poor civic conditions in Indian cities, such as waste mismanagement, lack of sanitation, water shortages, housing shortage, and urban pollution.

2. Neglect of Urban Transport — This part focuses on the problems caused by policy distortions, especially increasing dependence on private vehicles, poor treatment of pedestrians and cyclists, and high accident fatalities.

3. Curitiba: A Model for Urban Renewal — This section presents Curitiba in Brazil as an example of successful urban planning, with pedestrian-friendly areas, an efficient bus system, planned housing, and low-cost solutions.

4. Inclusive Development for Cities — The final section explains that Indian cities need a rights-based approach to housing, sanitation, water supply, mobility, and a clean environment, and that support from the middle class and trade unions is important for true urban renewal.

Himalayan Quake 2005

The earthquake in the Himalayan region in 2005 caused great destruction. It shook houses, roads and buildings and left many people homeless. Many lives were lost and several others were injured. Relief teams, doctors and volunteers reached the affected areas and helped the victims with food, shelter and medical aid. Such a disaster reminds us that earthquakes are sudden natural calamities and we should be prepared to face them. Strong buildings, safety measures and quick rescue work can reduce damage. The Himalayan quake of 2005 was a tragic event that showed both the power of nature and the importance of human cooperation in times of crisis.

CBSE
[Your Address]
[Date]

The Registrar
Examination Branch
CBSE
[City]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student of Class XII and have not yet received my Roll Number card for the examination. I am worried because the examination date is approaching.

I request you to kindly look into the matter and issue my Roll Number card at the earliest. Please let me know if any further details or documents are required from my side.

I shall be grateful for your prompt action.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]

This is an open-ended creative writing activity. The chapter asks you to note the images that come immediately to mind for each word. One possible response is:

• cat — a furry pet, whiskers, tail, soft purring
• cupboard — a wooden storage box, shelves, clothes or utensils inside
• wall — a long boundary, bricks, painted surface, posters
• pond — still water, lotus, frogs, reflection of trees
• bird — wings, flying in the sky, chirping, nest

Different students may write different images because creative writing depends on imagination and personal experience.