The Call of the Soil A Scent of Rice class 11

The Call of the Soil A Scent of Rice Brainstorming

The Call of the Soil A Scent of Rice

The Call of the Soil A Scent of Rice Brainstorming

(A1) (i) Read the extract and state whether the following statements are true 

or false. Correct the false statements. 

(a) Growing in abundance is more important than the quality of the crop.

Answer - False : Quality should be given more importance.

(b) The author wanted to grow the desi variety of rice.

Answer - True

(c) The author did not succeed in finding Kasbai.

Answer - False : The author finally succeeded in finding Kasbai at village named Asarvari.

(d) The aroma of the ‘desi’ rice would spread around the village.

Answer - True

(e) Newer hybrid crops have a great appetite for chemicals.

Answer - True

(f) The author is an example of ‘reverse migration’.

Answer - True

(ii) Complete the flow chart. Consider this as an example of 

 Note-Making.

Discovery of Kasbai rice. 

April 2005

Started his 

search for 

Kasbai rice

Bought Kasbai 

rice from an 

Adivasi 

woman in a 

remote area 

(iii) Read the text and fill in the blanks. One is done for you.

 (a) The author wanted to grow organic moong.

 (b) Moru Dada wanted to spray on the moong crop.

 (c) Baban’s father and some elders mentioned the name of .

 (d) “Hybrids need more ”, said Devu Handa.

 (e) The author bought kilos of rice from an Adivasi 

woman who lived in remote hills.

(A2)

(i) List the reactions of the agricultural officer to the author’s inquiry
about Kasbai rice seeds. One is done for you.

Answer :

• He had not heard of kasbai.
• He said that there wasn't any rice of that name.
• He offered to give the author latest hybrid seeds of rice for trial free of cost.

(ii) Go through the text once again and note down Devu Handa’s fond
memories of Kasbai in your exercise book. One is done for you.
Devu Handa has fond memories of Kasbai. They are as follows !

Answer :

• It needs less rain.
• People passing through the village would probably stop due to aroma of rice and ask for a meal.
• Then the entire village would grow Kasbai.

(A3) (i) The writer says he grew ‘an awful lot of moong’. Explain the word 

'awful' in this sentence.

(ii) The word scent is different from its synonyms aroma, fragrance or 

perfume. Explain how the word 'scent' in the subtitle ‘Scent of the 

Rice’, has a deeper meaning than ‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’. Tick 

phrases having a similar meaning from the following:

 (a) In pursuit of 

 (b) To smell a rat

(c) To be keen

 (d) On the trail of

 (e) To feel under the weather

(A4) Read the following sentence:

(i) She muttered in reply and we looked at Jeevan for a quick 

interpretation.

(ii) These are two complete sentences underlying the above sentence.

 (a) She muttered in reply.

 (b) We looked at Jeevan for quick interpretation.

 These two sentences are put together by using the co-ordinating 

conjunction ‘and’.

 Such sentences which are joined by co-ordinating conjunctions (and/ but/ 

either...or; neither...nor) are called compound sentences. 

 Sentence ‘a’ and ‘b’ are Simple Sentences.

 Each of them has only one subject and one predicate.

 Sentence ‘a’ and ‘b’ can be written in another way.

 As she muttered in reply, we looked at Jeevan for a quick interpretation.

 This sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction ‘As’. 

 This is a complex sentence.

 Two simple sentences joined by subordinate conjunctions are called 

complex sentences. The subordinate conjunction need not always be in 

the beginning of the sentence.

 Make pairs and groups and find out some more simple, complex and 

compound sentences from the text.

 Prepare a list of subordinating conjunctions.

(A5) (i) Planting and growing more crops a year seems to be progress by 

normal standards; but the chapter makes a case against it. Give 

reasons.

(ii) Describe in about 150 words your experience similar to the writer’s 

when you pursued something and reached your goal. 

(iii) The writer goes in search of an invaluable indigenous variety of 

seeds. List three reasons for the importance of keeping records of 

our indigenous agricultural practices. 

(iv) Write a blog in about 100 to 150 words on organic farming.

(v) Write a short paragraph in about 120 words, to be used as Counter-View 

for the following topic. 'Buy a bigger cloth for your coat'.

 View Section:

(a) We cannot survive by the dictum 'Cut your cloth according to your coat' 

in today's world.

 (b) In the mordern world we should 'Think Big' 

 (c) Think of increasing your income instead of reducing your needs.

 (d) We connot deny ourselves, what the new world offers us.

(vi) 'Organic farming is the need of the time'. Write your views in favour and 

against the statment.

Views Counterviews

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(vii) Appeal your classmates to say 'No to Junk Food'. Write an appeal to 

prefer organic food over junk food.

(A6) Projects: 

(i) Plant the seed of a flower or fruit of your choice in a pot or in 

your garden. Note its growth every day and maintain a diary 

recording its progress.

(ii) Find out more career opportunities in the field of agriculture, organic 

farming, sales, storage, distribution and marketing research.

Educational qualifications Job opportunities Work Profile 

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