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NCERT Solutions

Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain

Madhya Pradesh Board · Class 11 · English

NCERT Solutions for Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain — Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 English.

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56 Questions Solved · 12 Sections

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Understanding the text

1(i)King Tut's body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.Show solution
King Tut’s body has been examined more than once: by Howard Carter when the tomb was opened, later by an anatomy professor who X-rayed the mummy in 1968, and again by the CT scan in 2005. This repeated scrutiny happened because people wanted to solve the mystery of his death, age, and burial condition.

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1(ii)Howard Carter's investigation was resented.Show solution
Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because he damaged the mummy while trying to remove it from the coffin. He had to cut, chisel, and separate the remains, and this was seen as disrespectful to the dead body and its burial customs.

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1(iii)Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king's remains.Show solution
Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins because the ritual resins had hardened and cemented Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. The sun did not loosen them, so the consolidated material had to be chiselled away before the remains could be raised.

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1(iv)Tut's body was buried along with gilded treasures.Show solution
Tut was buried with gilded treasures because the royals believed they could take their riches into the afterlife. So he was laid with golden collars, necklaces, bracelets, rings, amulets, sandals, a ceremonial apron, and his inner coffin and mask, along with everyday items for use after death.

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1(v)The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.Show solution
The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun because after Akhenaten’s death he restored the old religious order and returned to the worship of Amun. His new name means “living image of Amun.”

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2(i)List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as "wacky".Show solution
Ray Johnson called Akhenaten “wacky” because he did several shocking things: he promoted the worship of Aten, changed his name to Akhenaten, shifted the capital from Thebes to Akhetaten/Amarna, and attacked the god Amun by smashing his images and closing his temples.

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2(ii)What were the results of the CT scan?Show solution
The CT scan produced 1,700 digital X-ray images in cross section and gave a three-dimensional virtual body of Tut. It showed his head in 0.62 millimetre slices, the neck vertebrae, a hand, several views of the rib cage, and a transection of the skull. It helped specialists study the body more closely without opening it again.

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2(iii)List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.Show solution
The advances in technology mentioned are X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and the use of a portable CT machine. The text also says that archaeology now uses more sophisticated medical technology, and that specialists in radiology, forensics, and anatomy use these tools for analysis.

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2(iv)Explain the statement, "King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned — in death, as in life..."Show solution
The statement means that Tut remained prominent even after death. In life, he was a king who moved ahead of others; similarly, in death he was one of the first mummies to be scanned by the new CT technology. The phrase also suggests that he continued to “lead” his countrymen even in death, because he was among the first to receive this modern scientific treatment.

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Talking about the text

1Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.Show solution
I agree that scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries. In the chapter, the CT scan and earlier X-ray helped scientists study Tut’s body without destroying it completely. Such methods can reveal facts about age, injuries, and cause of death, which ordinary observation cannot. So science helps us learn the truth about the past.

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2Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.Show solution
I partly agree that advanced technology gives conclusive evidence of past events. In the chapter, CT scanning gave useful details such as the shape of Tut’s body, skull, ribs, and vertebrae, and helped researchers study him scientifically. However, technology may not answer every question completely, so it gives strong evidence, but not always the final answer to every mystery.

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3Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.Show solution
I agree that traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected. Tut’s tomb and body were part of a sacred burial system, and the chapter shows that Carter’s forceful actions damaged the mummy. Even when scientific study is needed, it should be done carefully and respectfully so that the dead and their customs are not insulted.

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4Knowledge about the past is useful to complete our knowledge of the world we live in.Show solution
Knowledge about the past is useful because it helps us understand how people lived, ruled, believed, and died. In this chapter, learning about Tut and his family helps us understand Egyptian history, religion, burial customs, and the changes brought by Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. The past also explains the present, so studying it completes our knowledge of the world.

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Thinking about language

2What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?Show solution
Languages may become extinct because of colonialism, lack of use, migration, domination by stronger languages, and the absence of teaching in schools. When people stop speaking a language at home or in public, and when children shift to another language for work or status, the older language gradually dies out.

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3Do you think it is important to preserve languages?Show solution
Yes, it is important to preserve languages because a language carries a community’s identity, culture, history, and traditions. If a language dies, we lose its literature, songs, stories, and unique way of thinking. Preserving languages helps protect human diversity.

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4In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects?Show solution
We can prevent extinction of languages and dialects by using them at home, teaching them in schools, recording folk songs and stories, publishing books and newspapers, and encouraging children to learn them. Government and communities should also give these languages respect and public use.

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Working with words

1(i)ghostly dust devilsShow solution
The phrase “ghostly dust devils” describes the small whirlwinds of dust in the desert as looking strange, pale, and ghost-like. It creates an eerie atmosphere around Tut’s tomb.

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1(ii)desert skyShow solution
The phrase “desert sky” simply refers to the sky over the desert, where the scene takes place. It stresses the dry, open setting of the Egyptian landscape.

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1(iii)stunning artefactsShow solution
The phrase “stunning artefacts” means the burial objects were extremely beautiful and impressive, especially because they were made of gold and were precious historical treasures.

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1(iv)funerary treasuresShow solution
The phrase “funerary treasures” refers to the valuable objects buried with the dead for use in the afterlife, such as jewellery, coffins, and ornaments.

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1(v)scientific detachmentShow solution
The phrase “scientific detachment” means studying something in a calm, objective, and unemotional way, without personal feelings affecting the work.

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1(vi)dark-bellied cloudsShow solution
The phrase “dark-bellied clouds” describes clouds that are heavy and dark underneath, suggesting that a storm is coming.

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1(vii)casket greyShow solution
The phrase “casket grey” means a dull grey colour like that of a coffin or burial box. It creates a somber, death-like mood.

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1(viii)eternal brillianceShow solution
The phrase “eternal brilliance” refers to the lasting shine of gold. The chapter says the artefacts’ brilliance was meant to guarantee resurrection, so the brightness suggests immortality.

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1(ix)ritual resinsShow solution
The phrase “ritual resins” means the sticky substances used in burial ceremonies. In Tut’s case, they hardened and cemented the mummy to the coffin.

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1(x)virtual bodyShow solution
The virtual body is the three-dimensional body image made on a computer from many X-ray slices. In computed tomography (CT), hundreds of X-rays in cross section are combined like slices of bread to produce this image.

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2Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings.Show solution
- CT scan: a scan using many X-rays to make a cross-sectional image of the body.
- MRI: a technique that makes detailed images of the inside of the body using magnetic fields and radio waves.
- tomography: imaging of body parts in sections or slices.
- autopsy: a post-mortem examination of a body to find the cause of death.
- dialysis: a medical process to remove waste from the blood when the kidneys do not work properly.
- ECG: an इलेक्ट्रोकार्डियोग्राम; a test that records the heart's electrical activity.
- post mortem: examination of a body after death.
- angiography: imaging of blood vessels.
- biopsy: removal and examination of a small tissue sample for diagnosis.

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Things to do

1The constellation Orion is associated with the legend of Osiris, the god of the afterlife.
Find out the astronomical descriptions and legends associated with the following.Show solution

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2Some of the leaves and flowers mentioned in the passage for adorning the dead are willow, olive, celery, lotus, cornflower. Which of these are common in our country?
3Name some leaves and flowers that are used as adornments in our country.

Find out

1What laburnum is called in your language.
2Which local bird is like the goldfinch.

Think it out

1What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
2To what is the bird's movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?
3Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?
4What do you like most about the poem?
5What does the phrase "her barred face identity mask" mean?

Note down

1the sound words
2the movement words
3the dominant colour in the poem.

List the following

1Words which describe 'sleek', 'alert' and 'abrupt'.
2Words with the sound 'ch' as in 'chart' and 'tr' as in 'trembles' in the poem.
3Other sounds that occur frequently in the poem.

Thinking about language

1Look for some other poem on a bird or a tree in English or any other language.

Try this out

1Write four lines in verse form on any tree that you see around you.

Think it out

I.1There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?
I.2What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?
I.3There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.
I.4How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
I.5Why are the last two lines put within brackets?
I.6List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.
II.1And who art thou? *said I* to the soft-falling shower.
II.2I am the Poem of Earth, *said the voice of the rain*.
II.3*Eternal I rise*
II.4For song... *duly with love returns*
IIILook for some more poems on the rain and see how this one is different from them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important topics in Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain for Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 English?
Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain covers several key topics that are frequently asked in Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 board exams. Focus on the core concepts listed on this page and practise related questions to build confidence.
How to score full marks in Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain — Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 English?
Understand the core concepts first, then work through the 80 practice questions available for this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly, and use flashcards for quick recall before the exam.
Where can I get free NCERT Solutions for Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain Class 11 English?
This page has free step-by-step NCERT Solutions for every exercise question in Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues , The Laburnum Top & The Voice of the Rain (Madhya Pradesh Board Class 11 English) — written the way examiners award marks: given, formula, working, answer.

Sources & Official References

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