The Journey

AP State Syllabus SSC 10th Class English Solutions Chapter 3A The Journey

I. Answer the following questions.

1. ‘After spending a leisurely Sunday at home, the very thought of returning to work on Monday is tiring.’ Do you agree? Have you ever felt so?

Yes, returning to work after a leisurely holiday is tiring. I experienced this after Dussehra, Pongal, and summer vacation. The first day back to school is always difficult.

2. The last sentence of the first paragraph and the first sentence of the second paragraph appear to contradict each other. What could be the reason for the change in the decision?

Initially hesitant to go back to work after marriage, the author didn't want to leave his newly-wed wife. However, realizing responsibilities and debts, he decided to return.

3. ‘Why did the author get into debt? Think of some possible reasons.

The author felt that he had got into debt after his marriage.

The possible reasons are :

• The author might have met his marriage expenses.
• He spent leisurely at home for about six months without going to work.
• The increased expenses for the new couple.

4. Why was the author reluctant to carry his own luggage? What would you do if you were in the author’s place?

The author felt reluctant to carry his luggage, fearing ridicule due to his education. He sought help, blaming guilt, shame, self-consciousness, and pride. I would carry the luggage myself without seeking assistance.

5. The author feared that the whole world would laugh at him if he carried the trunk. Was the fear imaginary or real? Give reasons for your answer.

The author's fear of ridicule for carrying the trunk seems imaginary. People don't mock us for doing our work. It should not have been a concern; others would praise his modesty.

 6. Choose one sentence from the story that best expresses the author’s false prestige. Support your answer with details from the story.

“Somehow, I had the feeling that if 1 carried the luggage, my father and my people, in fact the whole world would laugh at me and I would be belittled,” – this sentence expresses the author’s false prestige. The author believed his education made shun physical labour, being a government officer. He valued prestige and didn't want to disappoint his parents.

7. What does the phrase ‘opposite directions’ in the last sentence suggest?

As the bus moved, the author saw his father fading into the distance. They started on contrasting journeys – one luxurious due to education and being a government officer, while the father's life was harder.

8. How was the story told? Were the events narrated in the order in which they had happened? Spot the sentences where the course of narration changed its direc¬tions. How effective was it?

'The Journey' by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi is a beautiful narrative where events are mostly presented in chronological order. However, the author skillfully changes the narration's direction at several points, delving into inner feelings, thoughts, and reflections. This technique effectively engages the reader and provokes thoughtful contemplation.

• Nobody had time to spare for me. In fact, carrying the trunk should not have been such a worry.
• Father wanted to say something but the bus started moving.

These sentences are examples of narration's changing direction.

II. Write the number of the paragraph that gives the stated information in each of the following sentences.

1. The author enjoyed his married life.

Answer:

Paragraph 1 (The first paragraph)

2. The author tried to convince himself that he had not done anything wrong.

Answer:

Paragraph 11.

3. The author was ashamed of making his father carry his trunk.

Answer:

Paragraph 10.

4. The author looks at himself and his father as two travellers taking two different roads.

Answer:

Paragraph 16 (The last paragraph).

III. The following statements are false. Correct them.

1. The author offered to carry the trunk for some time.

2. The author could decide on whether to allow his father to carry the trunk or not.

3. The author took unpaid leave.

4. The father was not happy with the old shoes his son gave him.

Corrections:

1. The author didn’t carry the trunk at all throughout the story. His father carried it all the way.

2. The author decided that it would be better to let his father carry the trunk.

3. The author initially thought of taking unpaid leave but later he decided against it.

4. The father was happy with the old shoes his son gave him. His face lit up with content-ment when he noticed the author taking out his pair of shoes from the trunk.

Vocabulary

I. Look at these words from the story :

1. newly-wed wife

2. bus stop

3. forehead

They are all compound words. A compound word is a union of two or more words to convey a unit idea or special meaning that is not as clearly or quickly conveyed by separated words. As shown above, compound words may be hyphenated, written open (as separate words), or written solid (closed). The use of compounding in English is an evolving process. 

As expressions become more popular or adopt special meanings, they follow a gradual evolution from two or more separate or hyphenated words to single words.

audio visual    audio-visual   audiovisual 

copy editor      copy-editor     copyeditor 

wild life            wild-life           wildlife 

The words in the first, second and third columns are called ‘open compounds’, ‘hyphenated compounds’ and ‘closed compounds’ respectively. In this unit we focus on hyphenated compounds.

A hyphenated compound is a combination of words joined by a hyphen or hyphens. Here, the hyphen aids understanding and readability and ensures correct pronunciation. Words are hyphenated mainly to express the idea of a unit and to avoid ambiguity.

A. Pick out all the compound words from the story and group them under the head-ings as explained above.

Open compounds	Hyphenated compounds	Closed compounds
1. bus stop	1. newly-wed	1. anyone
2. government officer	2. far-off	2. someone
3. tea shop	3. 20-kilo	3. forehead
4. each other	4. home-made	4. moreover
5. bare feet	5. matter-of-fact	5. myself
	6. self-consciousness	6. anyway
	7. white-collar	7. childhood
	8. pebble-strewn	8. useless
		9. anything
		10. somehow

B. Fill in the blanks to make hyphenated compound words. Refer to a dictionary and get the meaning. Write a few sentences using them appropriately.

1	20	kilo	chest
		rupee	note
		inch cake	tin
2	newly	wedded	wife
		formed	association
		constructed	building
		discovered	particle
3	flood	hit	area
	home	made	wine
	flood	hit	villages
	pebble	strewn	road
	kind	hearted	people
	well	mannered	man
4	white	collar	job
	pink	card	holder
	new	trade	union

Own Sentences:

1. a) He can easily lift a 20-kilo chest.

b) My father gave me a 20-rupee note.

c) We ordered a 20-inch cake tin and it has just been delivered.

2. a) Mr. Prakash came to his native place along with his newly-wedded wife.

b) The newly-formed association held an important meeting yesterday.

c) Theirs is a newly-constructed building.

d) The scientists declared that it was a newly-discovered particle-

e) The CM has visited the flood-hit area.

3. a) They served the home-made wine in the party.

b) The officials listed out the flood-hit villages.

c) I have to walk over pebble-strewn road to reach the temple.

d) They are kind-hearted people; they have made their contribution in building this hospital.

e) Mr. Rajan is a well-mannered man; he always tries to be friendly with others.

4. a) Mr. Ravi Teja was offered a white-collar job.

b) Mr. Bharat is a pink-card holder, who is eligible to take all the fair-price goods.

c) Yesterday, they formed a new-trade union.

C. Fill in the blanks with the missing parts of compound words.

Kedarnath lived in Uttarakhand. Due to heavy rains, his village was hit by floods. His newly ____(1) ____ house fell down and he became ______(2)_____ less. The Chief Minister visited all the _____ (3) ____ hit villages and announced immediate help. However, Kedarnath lost his self ____(4) ____ and tried to commit suicide by jumping into the flooded river. Some brave and ____(5) ____ hearted people rescued him risking their lives. They told their stories too. Someone had lost his ____(6) ____ wedded wife, and someone else had lost all his family members. One of them offered him a ____(7) ____ collar job. It required him to carry rice bags. But he could not carry even a 20 ____(8) ____ bag, so he asked for a ____(9) ____ job. But no such jobs were available. One of them suggested ____(10) ____ employment scheme. But Kedarnath had no money. One day as he was walking on the pebble ____(11) ____ road, he found some ____(12) ____ plated idols and jewellery in a box.

Answer:

1. built (newly-built)
2. home (homeless)
3. flood (flood-hit)
4. confidence (self-confidence)
5. kind (kind-hearted)
6. newly (newly-wedded)
7. blue (blue-collar)
8. kilo (20-kilo)
9. white-collar
10. self (self-employment)
11. strewn (pebble-strewn)
12. gold (gold-plated)

II. Look at the word ‘dilly-dally from the text. This is a reduplicative word. The words super-duper and bye bye are also reduplicative words. But they belong to different categories shown below:

1. Duplicative type :

Here, the first part of the word is repeated without any change.

e.g.: bye bye

2. Alliterative type :

Here, the two parts have the same consonants but different vowels.

e.g. : dilly-dally, chit-chat

3. Rhyming type :

Here, the second word starts with a different consonant but rhymes with the first part.

e.g. : super-duper

A. Look at the following reduplicatives carefully and put them under proper headings in the table given below.

Duplicative	Alliterative	Rhyming
aye-aye	ding-dong	bow-wow
chuk-chuk	ping-pong	easy-peasy
bang-bang	zig-zag	okey-dokey
chop-chop	see-saw	hodge-podge
tata	hip-hop	helter-skelter
papa	chit-chat	itsy-bitsy
ha ha	pitter-patter	nitty-gritty
boo-boo	tip-top	hanky-panky
hush-hush	tick-tock	teeny-weeny
night-night	mish-mash	hurly-burly

B. Answer each of the following questions using a reduplicative word.

1. What does the clock say? ____________________

2. What does the school bell say? ____________________

3. How does the rain drop? ____________________

4. What does the dog say? ____________________

5. How do you laugh? ____________________

Answer:

1. tick-tock
2. ding-dong
3. pitter-patter
4. bow-wow
5. ha ha