Class 9 - Unit 01 (ENVIRONMENT) - Reading A - THE JAMUN TREE

UNIT - 1	ENVIRONMENT
READING - A	THE JAMUN TREE

Comprehension

I. Answer the following questions.

1. Describe the Jamun tree in at least five sentences.

Answer – The Jamun tree can be described as follow –

1. The Jamun tree stood in the backyard of the house.

2. It was a tall and stately tree.

3. It had dark green leaves and twirling branches that clawed into the sky.

4. It had knotty and gnarled branches.

5. In summer, the branches of the tree drooped with the weight of the delicious purple coloured jamun fruits.

6. It had many visitors. Apart from the children, squirrels, bluebottles, honeybees, magpies, sparrows and parrots also visited the tree.

2. What options did Ricky, Jonak, Monpi and Tinky find out for getting wood for mejhi?

Answer – Rickey suggested to chop down some of the biggest branches of the Jamun tree. All the children agreed enthusiastically to the suggestion. This was the option they found out for getting wood for mejhi.

3. What changed Ricky's enthusiasm for cutting the Jamun tree?

Answer - When Ricky climbed up the Jamun tree to cut its branches, he heard the scream and found a nest of two-young hawk-kites. Jonak also informed him about a two years old beehive. The realization that the tree was a home for many creatures and cutting down the tree would destroy their homes, he felt guilty and lost all his enthusiasm for cutting the Jamun tree.

4. What are the good things they had been getting from the Jamun tree?

Answer -  The Jamun Tree was a source of joy to the children. They loved to climb its branches. They also played hide and seek; and after playing the tired children took rest under the shade. The tree bore fruits in abundance and eating them was their greatest joy.

5. Why did Ricky, Jonak, Monpi and Tinky want to have a big mejhi?

Answer :- Ricky, Jonak, Monpi and Tinky wanted to have a big mejhi for the upcoming Bihu festival as they always had a small mehji. They wanted to build a giant mejhi as it would be the envy of all their friends in the neighbourhood.

6. What arrangements did the children make for the birds that visited the Jamun tree?

Answer :- The children loved most the visiting birds and made some arrangement for them. Ricky and Jonak built a bird bath and their sisters, Monpi and Tinky filled it with water. The birds enjoyed splashing about in the cool waters.

7. Do you think it is good to cut a tree for the sake of a festival? Give reason (s) for your opinion.

Answer - All the festivals have traditional values and emotion involved but cutting tress for their sake is not good. The trees are necessary to keep our earth green and alive. They give us fresh oxygen, woods, fruits, shade and shelter. They are the homes to many creatures including birds and squirrels. Festivals like Holi and Bihu are celebrated by setting alight a large pile of firewood. Thousands of trees were cut for these festivals. Instead of cutting the living trees, we can burn the old and unused materials like doors or furniture. We can also make a pile of sticks and twigs. This will keep the festivals alive and also save trees and in return our environment.

II. Complete the following table –

Visitors to the Jamun tree	Names	Description of Activities
Animals	Squirrels	Nibble at the fruits
Birds	Magpies	Enjoyed splashing about in the cool waters.
	Sparrows
	Parrots
Insects	Bluebottles	flitted around the tree settling every now and then to drink nectar from the fruits.
	Honeybees	filled the air with their urgent buzzing
	Ants	marching in straight lines to carry off the fruits which had fallen onto the ground.

III. Work in groups and discuss these questions and then write answers individually. (Answers are for reference only, try to frame your own answers)

1. Give reasons for not cutting a tree.

Answer – A tree is the source of many things which is required for living. We get fruits and vegetables to eat. It also provides flowers, medicines and wood for our many needs. It gives us fresh oxygen and keep the environment clean. It is the home of many creatures like squirrel and birds.

Q.2. Give reasons why trees are cut.

Answer –  The trees are cut mostly for timber which is used to make furniture, doors, windows and houses. They are also cut for firewood. The increasing population and development needs more land and this leads to the destructions of the trees.

Q.3. Do you think the trees that do not give fruits should be cut?

Answer – Trees are also living things and fruits are not the only thing that they provide. They give us fresh air and keep the environment clean. They provide shade and shelter to many living creatures. So, even if the trees do not give fruits, they should not be cut down.

Q.4. Do Human beings alone have rights over the trees? Discuss

Answer –  No, human beings alone do not have the rights over the trees or any other natural resources. Trees are also living beings and are necessary to protect the environment on earth. The trees provide home and food for countless creatures. These other creatures also have every right to live on this planet. The most selfish of all the creatures, human are exploiting and destroying natures with a belief that they alone have every rights on this planet’s resources and that is the reason we are witnessing devastating incidents like climate change, global warming and extinctions of the species.

Vocabulary

Tick (✔) the most appropriate meaning for each of the following words in bold.

1. Monpi and Tinky were enthusiastic about cutting the Jamun tree.

a. fascinated

b. excited

c. crazy

d. delighted

Answer – b. excited

2. They marvelled at the discipline with which ants toiled.

a. were curious

b. became thoughtful

c. mocked

d. wondered

Answer – d. wondered

3. Jonak said it is obvious that we cannot cut the tree.

a. true

b. well known

c. clear

d. possible

Answer – c. clear

 

Grammar -

I. Subject and predicate

A. Identify the subject and predicate in each of the following sentences given in the passage and write them in the table below.

The syrupy sweetness of the Jamuns invited other visitors too. A pair of squirrels, who lived in a nearby bamboo grove, came regularly to nibble at the fruits. Scores of beautiful bluebottles flitted around the tree settling every now and then to drink nectar from the fruits. Honeybees, who seemed to be forever busy, filled the air with their urgent buzzing. Ants arrived in great numbers, marching in straight lines to carry off the fruit which had fallen onto the ground. The children would spend hours watching the ants.

 

S.No.	Subject	Predicate
1	The syrupy sweetness of the Jamuns	Invited other visitors too.
2	A pair of squirrels, who lived in a nearby bamboo grove	came regularly to nibble at the fruits.
3	Scores of beautiful bluebottles	flitted around the tree settling every now and then to drink nectar from the fruits.
4	Honeybees, who seemed to be forever busy,	filled the air with their urgent buzzing.
5	Ants arrived in great numbers,	marching in straight lines to carry off the fruit which had fallen onto the ground.
6	The children	would spend hours watching the ants.

 

B. Complete the following sentences with appropriate subjects or predicates.

1. The people living in the remote area of Chhattisgarh have no access to electricity.

2. The incident is unknown to me.

3. Chhattisgarh has got its name from the 36 forts.

4. The Bihu festival is celebrated in Assam.

5. In democracy, the citizens of the nation elect the government.

 

II. One and Ones

Complete the dialogues given below:

Q: How old are your children?

A: The younger one is four and the older one is seven.

Q. Would you like a new model of mobile?

A. Certainly. The new mobiles are much lighter than the old ones.

Q. What type of car do you want?

A. I don’t mind what kind of car it is. I just want one that gets me to office.

Q. What do you want to buy?

A. I need some new colour pencils. The ones I have at the moment are broken.

III. Use of ‘There’

A. Indicate which function of ‘There’ occurs in the sentences below: ‘Adverb of place’ or ‘Introductory ’.

Sentences	Adverb of place	Introductory
a. There is always someone who is naughty in the class.		✔
b. There is the postman. Let me see if he.	✔
c. There were two of them, to full grown little fledglings		✔
d. There was once a little girl called Alice.		✔
e. We went there on foot.	✔
f. I saw him standing there.	✔
g. There was a long silence after the speech.		✔
h. Put your books on the table there.	✔

B. Rewrite the sentences with the introductory ‘There’.

S.No.	Original sentences	Using introductory ‘There’
A	A lady is waiting to see the Principal.	There is a lady waiting to see the Principal.
B	No body was in the room.	There was no body in the room.
C	Squirrels are in the other tree.	There are squirrels in the other tree.
D	Payal’s car is in the garage.	There is Payal’s car in the garage.
E	Your dinner is on the table.	There is your dinner is on the table.

© Anupam Agrawal