Chapter 11: My Elder Brother Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 10 English Chapter 11 Question Answer

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.1

Answer the following questions.

A. 1. The two brothers were not much different in age or built. But the younger brother says, “ I was no companion for him.”

Give two reasons why Nicky felt so.

Ans:

(i) Valodya was better in games.
(ii) He was also better in arguments and manners.

2. What was the effect of this feeling of inadequacy on Nicky’s relationship with his elder brother?

Ans: Nicky, the narrator, felt inferior to his elder brother, and they were not on good terms.

3. Nicky says, “It even seemed to me that Valodya was himself aware of his superiority and was proud of it.”

Do you think Valodya was really proud? Please provide one reason for your response. What made Nicky feel so?

Ans: No, Valodya was not proud. The narrator felt so because of his own vanity.

4. Nicky was most upset by which aspect of Valodaya’s personality?

Ans: Valodya had a tucked linen shirt, which Nicky did not have. Valodya arranged the collar, which Nicky thought that he was doing so to show off his new shirt, and this irritated him.

5. Which two qualities of Valodya have been highlighted by the author?

Ans: He was candid and impulsive.

6. Choose the right answer to fill in the blanks:

The narrator was ……………………………………………………………………..

(i) jealous of his brother.

(ii) angry with his brother.

(iii) critical of his brother’s behaviour.

Ans: (i) jealous of his brother.

7. Describe in about 50 words a situation where you were jealous of your friend or sibling. Do you think you were right to feel so? How has it affected your relationship?

Ans: Individual responses.

LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 11.1

1. Choose the right answer, from the choices given below, which explains the underlined word/phrase.

a. This idea was inspired by my vanity.

(i) uselessness

(ii) bias

(iii) false pride

Ans: (iii) false pride

b. obtained on the sly

(i) secretly

(ii) quietly

(iii) silently

Ans: (i) secretly

c. He was large-hearted.

(i) was generous

(ii) had an enlarged heart

(iii) was caring

Ans: (i) was generous

2. Pick out words from the text which are opposite in meaning to the following words.

Words

a. inferiority

b. nothing

c. misunderstood

d. please

e. modest

f. selfish

Ans:

a. inferiority – superiority
b. nothing – everything
c. misunderstood – understood
d. please – annoy
e. modest – proud
f. selfish – large-hearted

3. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences, choosing words from the list given in the

box. There is one extra word.

independent, sensitive, large-hearted, impulsive, proud, analytical

a. In am _____________ to be an Indian.

Ans: proud

b. My friend is so _____ that she keeps changing her mind all the time.

Ans: impulsive

c. Saira will make a good counselor as she is _________ to others’ feelings.

Ans: sensitive

d. It is good to be ______ about one’s own conduct.

Ans: analytical

e. Tasneem is very ______, she does her home work without anybody’s help.

Ans: independent

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.2

1. Who had a passion for ornaments?

Ans: Valodya

2. How did the quarrel between the narrator and his brother start?

Ans: The narrator broke Valodya’s scent bottle, and instead of feeling sorry, he was casual about it.

3. How did the scent bottle break?

Ans: Nicky knocked it over, and it broke.

4. Was the narrator sorry for his behaviour? How do you know?

Ans: The narrator was not sorry for his behaviour. We know this because he said, “What does it matter?”

5. What annoyed the narrator most?

Ans: The narrator was most annoyed when Valodya tried to drag him away from the table.

6. What did the narrator do when Valodya dragged him?

Ans: When Valodya dragged the narrator away from the table, the latter got hold of the leg of the table and tilted it.

7. If you were in the narrator’s place, how would you have behaved?

Ans: I can’t say; yet I think I would have said sorry.

LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 11.2

I. Choose the right answer, which explains the underlined words/phrases.

1. Well, now it is all over between us.

a. all the problems are over

b. everything is finished

c. the relationship is broken

Ans: c. the relationship is broken

2. We have quarreled for good.

a. forever

b. for good reasons

c. it is very good

Ans: a. forever

II. Find words in the text which mean the opposite of the following words:

a. intentionally

b. happily

c. frowned

d. intelligent

e. pleasant

Ans:

a. intentionally – accidentally
b. happily – sorrowfully
c. frowned – smiled
d. intelligent – stupid
e. pleasant – Disgusting

III. Fill in the blanks choosing appropriate words from the box.

smilingly, sorrowfully, accidentally, disgusted

1. While preparing tea I _________ put salt into the cup instead of sugar.

Ans: accidentally

2. I feel ___________ to see the poor being mistreated.

Ans: disgusted

3. I bade farewell to my friend ______.

Ans: sorrowfully

4. She always helps people ______.

Ans: smilingly

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.3

1. How did Nicky feel after the day’s incident?

Ans: He felt uneasy and sorry because he realized that he was in the wrong.

2. How was Valodya’s reaction different from that of Nicky?

Ans: Valodya behaved in a very normal way, he did his lessons properly and interacted with his sisters happily.

3. Why did Nicky feel uncomfortable and ashamed to be alone with his brother?

Ans: Nicky felt uncomfortable and ashamed because he was guilty and could not face his brother. He was afraid that the topic of their fight would surely come up when they were alone.

4. How did Valodya show that he was keen to make friends with Nicky in spite of the day’s event?

Ans: He went to Nicky and apologized in a very natural voice.

5. What does Valodya’s behaviour show about his character?

Ans: Valodya’s behaviour shows that he was very large-hearted and forgiving.

6. What do the tears in Nicky’s eyes say about his feelings? Were they tears of joy, sorrow, anger or repentance? Please provide two reasons for your answer.

Ans: His brother’s action emotionally moved Nicky. There were tears of sorrow and repentance in his eyes.

7. What did Nicky do to show that he was sorry for all that he had done in the morning?

Ans: Nicky too asked for Valodya’s forgiveness.

8. Imagine that you had a fight with your friend. How would you try and apologise and become friends again? Hint: It may help if you can recall a real incident.

Ans: Suggested response: send a card, call up to apologise, write a letter of apology

LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 11.3

I. Choose the right answer, which explains the underlined phrases:

1. Valodya raised his head and ……. looked me in the face.

a. looked at my full face

b. looked straight into my eyes

c. looked only at my face

Ans: b. looked straight into my eyes

2. Our eyes met and I knew that he understood me.

a. we made eye contact

b. we stared at each other

c. we banged into each other

Ans: a. we made eye contact

II. Fill in the blanks choosing words from the list given in the box.

uncomfortable, meaningful, natural, contrary

1. _________ to popular belief many cats dislike milk.

Ans: contrary

2. Though he didn’t say anything to me his looks were quite ______.

Ans: meaningful

3. My friend speaks in a ______ way even when she is among strangers.

Ans: natural

4. I feel very ______ in the company of people who do not respect others.

Ans: uncomfortable

11.3 LET US LEARN GRAMMAR

Exercise 1

Identify the subject and the object in the following sentences.

Hint: To identify the subject, ask the question – who.

To identify the object ask the question – what.

1. He is reading a novel.

Ans: He – subject, novel – object

2. My mother teaches English.

Ans: My mother – subject, English – object

3. I love mangoes.

Ans: I – subject, mangoes – object

4. Shiela is fond of reading.

Ans: Sheila – subject, reading – object

5. Sachin plays cricket.

Ans: Sachin – subject, Cricket – object.

6. The toy car made a loud noise.

Ans: Toy car – subject, loud noise – object

Exercise 2

Identify the noun clauses in the following sentences and define their functions.

1. We all know that honesty is the best policy.

Ans: – that honesty is the best policy. object to the verb know

2. He told me that he was going to Lucknow next week.

Ans: – that he was going to Lucknow next week. object to the verb told

3. Saurav told his mother that he would return late.

Ans: – that he would return late, object to the verb told.

4. Nicky knew that Valodya was very generous.

Ans: – that Valodya was very generous. object to the verb knew

5. My brother said that he was working hard.

Ans: – that he was working hard – object to the verb said.

6. Jaya Lakshmi told me that she had got an award for bravery.

Ans: – that she had got a National award — object to the verb told

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Do you think Valodya was responsible for the narrator’s mental suffering and pain? (Explain in about 50 words)

Ans: No, it was the narrator’s own vanity.

2. After breaking his brother’s scent bottle or dropping the curios off the table Nicky didn’t say sorry because (tick the right choice):

i. he thought he was not wrong.

ii. he thought it was a petty matter.

iii. he wasn’t large-hearted like his brother.

iv. he pretended that it was not a mistake.

Ans: iv. he pretended that it was not a mistake.

3. Why did Valodya ask his younger brother’s forgiveness? Is it because (tick what you think is true to the story)

i. he had a large heart and was willing to forgive his younger brother and become friends again

ii. he was really in the wrong.

iii. he thought, to err is human and to forgive divine.

iv. he wanted to show his superiority.

Ans: i. he had a large heart and was willing to forgive his younger brother and become friends again

4. Do you find any change or development in Nicky’s character during the course of the story? Please explain the changes in 100 words.

Ans: In the beginning, Nicky is vain, jealous and also unmindful of his brother’s feelings, but during the course of the story, there is a positive development in his character. He realizes his mistake, is emotionally moved by his brother’s conduct and apologises to him for his behaviour.

5. What do you think brought about this change?

Ans: Valodya is more likeable because he is large-hearted and believes in forgiving and forgetting.

Nicky is more likeable since he accepted his mistake and apologized. His character was negative in the beginning of the story, but towards the end he changed for the better.