You are here
Extract from the Story
"I saw the determination on her face. Yet I laughed at her.
'Avva, at this age of sixty-two you want to learn the alphabet? All your hair is grey, your hands are wrinkled, you wear spectacles and you work so much in the kitchen...'
Childishly I made fun of the old lady. But she just smiled.
'For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. I will work harder than anybody but I will do it. For learning there is no age bar.'"
'Avva, at this age of sixty-two you want to learn the alphabet? All your hair is grey, your hands are wrinkled, you wear spectacles and you work so much in the kitchen...'
Childishly I made fun of the old lady. But she just smiled.
'For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. I will work harder than anybody but I will do it. For learning there is no age bar.'"
Summary in Bullet Points
- Avva just smiled at the teasing.
- She said: if you are determined for a good cause, you can overcome any obstacle . determined = having a firm decision to do something and not giving up obstacle = something that blocks your path or makes it difficult to achieve a goal
- “For learning there is no age bar ,” she added. age bar = a rule or limit based on age; Avva is saying no such rule should apply to learning
- The next day, daily tuition began. tuition = private teaching or coaching, given individually or in small groups
- Avva was a wonderful student.
- She would read, write, and recite every day. recite = to say something aloud from memory, especially as practice
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Critical Reflection — Extract 1 (NCERT Kaveri pages 10–12)
The Critical Reflection extract covers events in this Part II section. See Critical Reflection
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Fill in the Blank (Bracket Choice)
1 mark - 1 sentence only
For a good cause, if you are __________ (determined / scared), you can overcome any obstacle.
How to answer:
Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
View Answer
determined
determined = having a firm decision to achieve something and not giving up, no matter the difficulty
Why: Avva's famous line uses "determined". It is willpower, not fear, that helps one succeed. The opposite word "scared" would contradict the message entirely.
determined = having a firm decision to achieve something and not giving up, no matter the difficulty
Why: Avva's famous line uses "determined". It is willpower, not fear, that helps one succeed. The opposite word "scared" would contradict the message entirely.
Explanation:
Juxtapose = contrast two things. Name what the narrator does (mockery + specific details) and what Avva does (smiles + philosophical response). Both sides needed.
Is question ka jawab story se directly connect hota hai. Short aur clear likho — 2-3 sentences kaafi hain. Exact text ke words use karo.
MCQ. Tone UNLIKELY (1 mark)
What is the tone Avva is UNLIKELY to have used when she replied to the narrator's mockery?
How to answer:
Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
View Answer
Answer: (C) - "defeated and hopeless"
Avva's response was the opposite of defeat.
She smiled and calmly said "For learning there is no age bar." There was no self-pity or hopelessness. She was composed, confident, and clear.
She smiled and calmly said "For learning there is no age bar." There was no self-pity or hopelessness. She was composed, confident, and clear.
True — Avva ne khud 62 saal mein yeh prove kiya. Uska exact quote hai: 'For learning there is no age bar.' Board exam mein yeh quote hamesha likho.
Short Answer. Assumptions (1 mark)
How can we say the narrator is making assumptions about her grandmother when she laughs at her decision?
How to answer:
Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
View Answer
The narrator judges Avva only by appearance and age. Grey hair, wrinkles, spectacles. She assumed these make learning impossible, ignoring her intelligence and determination.
Is question ka jawab story se directly connect hota hai. Short aur clear likho — 2-3 sentences kaafi hain. Exact text ke words use karo.
Short Answer. Comment on Contrast (2 marks)
The extract juxtaposes the narrator's childish mockery with the grandmother's dignified response.
Justify.
How to answer:
Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
View Answer
The twelve-year-old narrator lists signs of age. Grey hair, wrinkles, spectacles. She laughs childishly.
Avva responds only with a smile and “For learning there is no age bar,” showing maturity is a matter of mind, not age.
Avva responds only with a smile and “For learning there is no age bar,” showing maturity is a matter of mind, not age.
Justify karne ke liye exact quote do: 'I had never seen her cry even in difficult situations.' Yeh prove karta hai ki Avva resilient thi — uske aansu unusual the.
Short Answer (3 marks) - 40–50 words
Avva's famous line "For learning there is no age bar" is the heart of the story. Support this statement with evidence from the text.
How to answer:
Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
View Answer
Avva speaks this line directly after the narrator mocks her decision to learn the alphabet at sixty-two. Rather than defending herself with words, she proves the line through action. Every day she reads, repeats, writes and recites the lessons without complaint, showing the discipline of someone far younger. By Dassara. Just months later. She sits alone and reads the full novel
Kashi Yatre
without any help. Her journey turns the line from a brave statement into a proven fact: age is not the barrier; the will to learn is the only thing that matters.
Explanation:
Q8 evidence answers need: the line spoken + the specific actions + the result. All three steps = full marks.
Kashi Yatre wali budhiya ne apni savings ek garib ladki ki shaadi mein de di — apna lifelong Kashi jaane ka sapna chod diya. Yeh selflessness aur compassion dikhata hai. Short mein: desire sacrifice ki real purity se zyada important hai.
