8. The fare was___ one way
(i) Thirty paise
(ii) Forty paise
(iii) Fifty paise
(iv) Sixty paise
Ans. (i) Thirty paise.
9. How much time did the bus take to reach the town?
(i) Twenty minutes
(ii) Thirty minutes
(iii) Forty-five minutes
(iv) None of these
Ans. (iii) Forty-five minutes.
10. Who yelled as ‘stop the bus’, ‘stop the bus’?
(i) Bus Conductor
(ii) Valli
(iii) Another Passenger
(iv) The driver
Ans. (ii) Valli.
Oral Comprehension Check – 1
1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Ans: Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand on the front doorway of her house, and look at what was happening in the street outside.
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Ans: The view of the bus with new passengers was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to have a ride on the bus once in her life.
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Ans: Valli found out that the town was six miles away and the bus journey took 45 minutes by listening to conversations and asking questions.
4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Ans: 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.
Oral Comprehension Check – ll
1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Ans: The conductor calls Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved like a woman. She declined his help and was very quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions.
2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Ans: Valli stood up on the seat to see outside past the canvas blind. She saw a narrow road with palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and a beautiful blue sky.
3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Ans: Valli angrily tells the elderly man that there is no child on the bus and that she has paid her fare like everyone else.
4. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
or
Why did Valli find the elderly woman absolutely repulsive?
Ans: Valli found the elderly woman repulsive because of her big, ugly earrings and the betel nut juice about to spill from her lips.
Oral Comprehension Check – lll
1. How could Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Ans: Valli saved money for her first journey by not buying peppermints, toys, or balloons, and by avoiding the merry-go-round. It was not easy for her.
2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans: Valli laughed when she saw a young cow running fast with its tail high, galloping in front of the bus despite the driver’s honking.
3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Ans: Valli didn’t get off at the bus station because she was going back on that same bus. She was taking a bus ride.
4. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Ans: Valli didn’t want to go to the stall because she had no money and refused the conductor’s offer of a drink. This shows she had strong self-will and pride.
Thinking about the Text:
1. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find words and phrases in the story that te11 you this .
Ans: Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus she saw everyday.
The words and phrases are Overwhelming desire; wistfully; calculated and recalculated; planned and replanted.
2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Ans:- Valli planned to go to town and return by the same bus. The fare was 30 paise one way, and the ride took 45 minutes. She learned this by listening and asking questions. To save money, she avoided buying peppermints, toys, and balloons and skipped the merry-go-round.
4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Ans: The conductor refers to Valli as ‘madam because she behaves like a grown up lady.
5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Ans: The lines are:
1) Valli clapped her hands with glee.
2) She laughed and laughed……… eyes.
3) Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.
6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Ans: Valli refused to look out of the window on the way back because she saw a dead cow by the roadside, which haunted her.
7. What does Valli mean when she says, ‘I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.
Ans: Valli admits that many things happen in our midst without our knowledge. Sometimes we can’t understand these.
8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Ans: The following evidence can be found in the text:
a) Valli devoured everything with her eyes.
b) Valli clapped her hands with glee.
c) She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.
d) Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.
Speaking:
This story has a lot of people talking in it. The conductor jokes and laughs with Valli, some passengers try to show their concern for her, and her mother and her aunt spend time chatting.
Additional Questions & Answers
1. How did Valli find out about the bus journey?
Ans:- Valli discovered that the town was six miles from her village and it took 45 minutes to reach town from her village. She learned this information by listening to the passengers’ and the neighbours’ conversation and occasionally by questioning them.
2. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Or
What was a source of unending joy for Valli.
Ans:- Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand on the front doorway of her house, and look at what was happening in the street outside.
3. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans:- Valli laughed when a young cow, running fast with its tail high, galloped in front of the bus and didn’t move despite the driver’s honking.
4. What was Valli’s deepest desire?
Ans:- Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus she saw everyday.
5. Why did Valli find the old woman who sat beside her in the bus, “absolutely repulsive”?
Ans:- Valli found the old woman repulsive because of her big, ugly earrings and the betel nut juice about to spill from her lips.
6. Give a description of the bus in which Valli travelled?
Ans:- The bus in which Valli travelled was a new bus. Outside, it was brightly painted white with green stripes. Inside, in front of the seats, there was a beautiful clock above the windshield. The seats of the bus were soft and luxurious.
7. What scene did Valli see on the way back home that made her very serious?
Or
Q: Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Ans:- Valli refused to look out of the window on the way back because she saw a dead cow by the roadside, which haunted her.
8. How could Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Ans:-Valli saved money for her journey by skipping peppermints, toys, balloons, and rides on the merry-go-round. It was not easy for her.
A. Choose the correct options for the following:-
1. Who yelled ‘stop the bus’, ‘stop the bus’?
(i) Bus Conductor
(ii) Valli
(iii) Another Passenger
(iv) The driver
Ans. (ii) Valli.
2. The distance to town form Valli’s village was-
(i) Four miles
(ii) Six miles
(iii) Nine miles
(iv) None of these
Ans. (ii) Six miles.
3. The fare was___ one way
(i) Thirty paise
(ii) Forty paise
(iii) Fifty paise
(iv) Sixty paise
Ans. (i) Thirty paise.
4. Where did Valli’s aunt live?
(i) West Street
(ii) North Street
(iii) East street
(iv) South Street
Ans:- (iv) South Street.
5. Outside painted a gleaming white.
(i) shining
(ii) dull
(iii) faded
(iv) all of the above
Ans:- (i) shining.
6. Valli would stare Wistfully at people…
(i) Carefully
(ii) longingly
(iii) angrily
(iv) none of the above
Ans:- (ii) longingly.
7. What was the wish that crept into her head?
(i) To go to the market
(ii) To travels in the bus
(iii) To ride the bus
(iv) To buy a bus
Ans:- (iii) To ride the bus
8. Why were there only six and seven passengers on the bus? Because
(i) Of storm
(ii) Of heavy rain
(iii) The market was closed
(iv) It was the slack time of the day
Ans:- (iv) It was the slack time of the day
9. Who was looking at Valli?
(i) Her friends
(ii) The passengers
(iii) Her parents
(iv) The drivers
Ans:- (ii) The passengers
10. The conductor blew his whistle……….
(i) Two times
(ii) Three times
(iii) One times
(iv) None of the above
Ans:- (i) Two times.
11. The seats were-
(i) Soft.
(ii) Luxurious.
(iii) Comfortable.
(iv) Soft and luxurious.
Ans: (iv) Soft and luxurious.
12. She usually liked to buy-
(i) Pepperments, toys, balloons etc.
(ii) Books.
(iii) Food items.
(iv) Play items.
Ans: (i) Pepperments, toys, balloons etc.
13. Why didn’t she ride the merry-go-round?
(i) She had no money.
(ii) She did not like to ride.
(iii) She was afraid to do so.
(iv) She had no savings.
Ans: (iv) She had no savings.
