GLIMPSES OF INDIA CHAPTER 5 FIRST FLIGHT

Glimpses of India is a prose of Class 10 English that has three parts: “I. A Baker from Goa”, “II. Coorg” and “III. Tea from Assam”.

Summary of Glimpses of India

Chapter 7 of Class 10 English textbook, ‘First Flight’, consists of prose – Glimpses of India, which is about three stories of different tourist places in India that attract visitors from across the country for their authentic culture and specialised items. Here, we present you a summary of the prose in the form of CBSE English Notes Class 10. CBSE Class 10 students can refer to the prose summary of Glimpses of India here. They can also access the CBSE Class 10 English Prose Notes – Glimpses of India while gearing up for their Board exams.

Glimpses of India Part 1: A Baker from Goa Summary

This story is written by Lucio Rodrigues, who talked about Goa, which was once ruled by the Portuguese. Due to this reason, the people of the region are swayed by the Portuguese culture. Baking was the conventional profession of the Goan people, and the bakers were known as ‘paders’ there. This story particularly revolves around the bakers living in a Goan village. The author mentioned how people in old times ate loaves of bread which were baked in large furnaces. The paders would come to sell those loaves in the street and would make a jingling sound with the bamboo whenever they arrived. He further added how the villagers enjoyed eating the loaves and bread-bangles brought in baskets for children by these bakers during his childhood.

The author also described the special attire of the bakers called Kabai, which was a single-piece frock that would reach up to their knees. Besides, he also mentioned how baking became the most profitable profession among people in Goa, and many bakers led a prosperous life, and their jackfruit-like physical appearance was a valid testimony of their well-being.

Glimpses of India Part 1 A baker from Goa – Here Detailed explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by a Summary of the lesson.

Glimpses of India A Baker from Goa Introduction

‘A Baker from Goa’ revolves around the relevance of a baker in the Goan culture which dates back to the time when the Portuguese ruled over the city of Goa. The Portuguese may have left but the bread-makers continue to have an inevitable stature. In this story, the author recalls his childhood days and their excitement on seeing the baker. They were enthusiastic to the point that they would run to him as soon as they woke up without even brushing their teeth.

Theme of the Lesson

The author reminisces the old times that he spent in Goa and the significance of a bakery in his life. The narrative is a nostalgic writing based on the culture of bakery in Goa and it highlights the important social position of bakery goods and bakers in the Goan culture and tradition. The chapter delves deep into the Goan bakery profession which the place gets from the Potugese colonization.

KEY POINTS

1. When were member nostalgically about something,we-
   a) Have Pleasant Memories Of our past.
   b) Don’t Remember Our Past.
   c) Are Regretful Our Past.
   d) Don’t Like To Think About Our Past.
2. Pick the option that correctly classifies Focus(F) and Opinion/s(0)of the four students given below:
   1) In Goa, the profession of baking bread was introduced by the Portuguese/
   2) People of Goa still relish bread.
   3) One Should Not Eat so much bread as it is not healthy.
   4) Bread is an integral part of Goan culture.
   a) F-2, 0-1,3,4
   c) F-1,2,4 0-3
   b) F-3, 0-1,2,4
   d) F-2,4 0-1,3

3) Why do you think the baker came with a thud and jingle?
4) Choose the options that are NOT TRUE according to the passage:
1) Goa imported bread from Portugal.
2) The elderly of Goa have very fond memories of the olden days.
3) People of Goa have stopped baking bread.
4) The narrator is one of the lovers of bread.
5) The bakers used to make a musical entry in the morning.
6) The author says that bread is no longer baked in the traditional furnaces.
a) 1.2,3
c) 3,5,6
b) 2,4,5
d) 1,3,6

Solutions-
1.
(a) Have pleasant memories of our past.

2. (d) F-2,4 0-1,3
3. To announce his arrival. Also to attract children.
4. (d) 1,3,6

Passages 2
During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so? Was it the love of loaf? Not at all. Loaves bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the house. What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully.

1. When the author says, “the baker was our friend, companion and guide”, he means that-
   a) During childhood days, he used to play with the beaker.
   b) The baker even taught the author when was child.
   c) In his childhood, the author was very fond of the baker.
   d) The author learnt the art of baking bread from the baker.
2. Choose the statement that isTRUE about the baker:
   a) The baker came everyday only in the morning.
   b) The baker carried bells and made a jingling sound.
   c) The baker brought different kinds of breads
   d) The servants did not like the baker.
3. How did the children greet the baker? Why were they so excited to see him?
4. The extract uses the phrase “longed for”. Which of the following expressions is incorrect with respect to the phrase “long for” a. Vacation
5. b. Promotion
6. C. DeliciousFood
7. d. Exams

Passage 3
He would greet the lady of the house with”Good Morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. Loaves for the elders and bangles for children. Then we didn’t even care to brush our teeth or wash our mouths properly.
And why should we? Who would take the trouble of plucking the mango-leaf for the toothbrush?

1. “We would climb a parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. “This shows that the children were very of the baker. on the arrival
   a) Naughty
   b) Excited
   c) Helpless
   d) Needy
2. Choose the options that list the statement that are NOT TRUE according to the given passage
   1) The baker was very courteous.
   2) The baker did not deliver the loaves to the servants:
   3) The children waited for the baker after brushing their teeth.
   4) The children loved the loaves of bread.
   5) Mango Leaf was used for brushing teeth..
   6) The people took bread with hot tea.
   a) 1,3,5
   b) 1,5,6
   c) 1,2,4
   d) 4,5,6

3. What in the passage tells us about the excitement of the children on seeing the baker?
4. Which word does recall NOT correspond to?
   a) Remember
   c) Forget
   b) Memorise
   d) Revive

SHORT QUESTION ANSWER

1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about? OR
   What do the elders in Goa remember so fondly?
   Ans: The elders in Goa remember the Portuguese times in Goa when people cherished the traditional profession of baking bread. They remember the age-old furnaces, the mixers and the moulders used for baking bread. The author has very pleasant and fond memories of those days.
2. Explain with examples that baking used to be a profitable profession in
   the olden days
3. What did the baker wear (i) in Portuguese days and (ii) when the author was young?
4. Describe the children’s excitement on the baker’s arrival.
5. How can you say that the tradition of baking bread is still prevalent in Goa

Constructive Response Type (100-120 words}

1. Give a pen portrait of a Goan baker.
   Answer
   A baker holds important places in Goa. The Profession of baking bread was brought to Goa by the Portuguese. Bread was an integral part of Goan culture. The Baker in Goa is called Pader. The baker came to every household twice a day, once in the morning during his selling round and in the evening. He brought loaves of bread and bread bangles, which is a
2. sweet bread of special make. The author tells how fond he was of bread bangles in his childhood. The baker, in the Portuguese days, wore a peculiar dress known as Kabai. It was a single-piece long frock reaching down to his knees. In the childhood days of the author, the baker wore a shirt and pair trousers which were shorter than full length ones and longer than half-pants.
3. The baker had a very profitable business and his family never starved. The elders of Goa have very fond memories of their olden days when baking used to be everyone’s profession.