Extract 1
"Pounding the stubborn clay inside bamboo cylinders to soften it, is also tedious. So many times I've dropped the mould out of sheer exhaustion and have had to start all over again. It takes months to bring out a batch of pots after so much labour. And the reward? A few rupees. But if Sentila learns weaving, she can make much more money besides providing enough cloth for the family. Weaving is not messy like pot making and can be done indoors in all seasons. Also, the time spent on weaving one shawl is much less and the return is handsome."
I.
(i)
Choose the correct reason: Assertion (A): The effort in making pots is far greater than the returns. (A) The process of pot making is quite tiresome and long, and one hardly earns much. (B) The process of pot making is exhausting, takes a long time, yet gives a sense of satisfaction.
How to answer:
Read each option carefully — the assertion says effort > returns, so which option focuses on effort AND low reward?
View Answer
Hide Answer
The correct answer is
Option A
. Option A directly supports the assertion by stating both that the process is tiresome and long, and that the reward is very little. Option B incorrectly adds "satisfaction" as a reward, which contradicts the assertion that returns are low.
Sahi answer A hai. Kyunki A mein kaha gaya hai kaam mushkil bhi hai aur income bhi kam hai — dono cheezein assertion se match karti hain.
II.
(ii)
Why does Arenla want Sentila to learn weaving?
How to answer:
Look for Arenla's reasons in the extract — both financial and practical.
View Answer
Hide Answer
Arenla wants Sentila to learn weaving because it is more financially rewarding — the return from weaving a shawl is "handsome" compared to the few rupees earned from pots. Weaving also provides cloth for the family, can be done indoors in all seasons, and takes less time than pot making, which is messy and physically exhausting.
Arenla weaving isliye chahti hai kyunki usme zyada paisa milta hai, ghar ke liye kapda bhi banta hai, aur andar kiya ja sakta hai — pot making se zyada practical hai.
III.
(iii)
State one advantage that weaving has over pot making, as per the extract.
How to answer:
The extract lists multiple advantages — pick any one and state it clearly.
View Answer
Hide Answer
One advantage weaving has over pot making, as per the extract, is that it can be done
indoors in all seasons
, unlike pot making which is messy and dependent on weather conditions. (Other valid answers: weaving takes less time per product; the financial return from weaving is greater.)
Ek advantage: weaving andar kiya ja sakta hai sab seasons mein. Pot making messy hoti hai aur depend karti hai mausam pe.
IV.
(iv)
Choose the sentence that uses the word "handsome" in the same way as in the extract. (A) My father is a handsome man. (B) They will make a handsome profit selling this property.
How to answer:
In the extract "handsome return" means generous/good — find which option uses it in the same sense.
View Answer
Hide Answer
The correct answer is
Option B
. In the extract, "handsome" means generous or substantial (a good/large return). Option B uses "handsome profit" in the same financial/quantity sense. Option A uses "handsome" to mean attractive in appearance, which is a different meaning.
Extract mein "handsome" ka matlab hai "zyada/bada". Option B mein bhi "handsome profit" ka matlab hai bada munafa — same use.
V.
(v)
"And the reward?" — What is the author's purpose of using a question mark here?
How to answer:
Think about tone — what effect does a question create here instead of a statement?
View Answer
Hide Answer
The question mark creates a rhetorical effect. By asking "And the reward?" instead of stating "The reward was very little," the author makes the reader pause and reflect. It conveys Arenla's bitterness and disillusionment — the implied answer (a mere few rupees) is so meagre that it is not even worth stating as a fact. The question mark adds emotional weight and irony to the extract.
Question mark yahan rhetorical effect ke liye hai. Seedha kehne ki jagah question puchha gaya hai — iska matlab hai reward itna kam hai ki kehne layak bhi nahi. Arenla ki disappointment dikhti hai.
2. Extract 2
"Onula saw her taking out some clay and the implements from her basket quietly. She watched Sentila's clumsy efforts to make a pot and noticed that Sentila was too tense. As a result, the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape. When Sentila wearily let the misshapen lump fall flat on the ground, Onula went to her and said, 'Don't worry, little one, I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot.' Sentila watched in amazement as Onula fashioned a beautiful pot and asked her to try again."
VI.
(i)
Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason. Onula feels Sentila's effort at making a pot is clumsy because ______________.
How to answer:
Look at what the extract says is causing Sentila's clumsiness — it is an internal state, not a lack of skill.
View Answer
Hide Answer
Onula feels Sentila's effort at making a pot is clumsy because
she is too tense, and her anxiety prevents the clay from yielding the right shape
.
Sentila isliye clumsy lag rahi thi kyunki woh bahut tense thi — tension ki wajah se clay bhi sahi shape nahi le rahi thi.
VII.
(ii)
Choose the correct option: "Don't worry, little one, I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot." This shows that Onula was ____________. (A) sincere and generous (B) forgiving and thoughtful (C) thoughtful and generous (D) forgiving and sincere
How to answer:
Focus on what Onula actually does: she offers to teach (generous) and she chose to approach kindly (thoughtful).
View Answer
Hide Answer
The correct answer is
(C) thoughtful and generous
. Onula is thoughtful because she observes Sentila's problem carefully before intervening. She is generous because she willingly offers her time and expertise to teach Sentila without being asked.
Sahi answer C hai. Onula ne pehle situation observe ki (thoughtful), phir apne aap se sikhane ka offer kiya (generous).
VIII.
(iii)
Which among the following is the effect of a cause? (A) As a result, the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape. (B) Onula saw her taking out some clay and the implements from her basket quietly.
How to answer:
The word "As a result" is a signal word that marks an effect — look for it.
View Answer
Hide Answer
Option A
is the effect. The phrase "As a result" explicitly signals that this is a consequence of a cause (Sentila being too tense). Option B is simply an observation/action, not a cause-effect statement.
"As a result" padha? Yahi signal word hai effect ka. Option A effect hai — Sentila ke tense hone ki wajah se clay sahi shape nahi le rahi.
IX.
(iv)
"Onula fashioned a beautiful pot." Here, the word "fashioned" means ____________. (created / styled)
How to answer:
Both words are similar — but which one fits better when talking about making a physical object from raw material?
View Answer
Hide Answer
The word "fashioned" here means
created
. It refers to the act of making or shaping the pot from clay. "Styled" implies only aesthetic arrangement, not the act of bringing something into existence from raw material.
"Fashioned" ka matlab yahan "created" hai — clay se pot banana. "Styled" sirf look ke baare mein hota hai, banana nahi.
X.
(v)
How might Sentila have felt when she saw "the misshapen lump fall flat on the ground"?
How to answer:
Imagine the emotional state of someone who tried hard and failed — use feeling words.
View Answer
Hide Answer
Sentila must have felt deeply disappointed, frustrated, and perhaps a little hopeless. After trying so hard and watching the clay collapse into a misshapen lump, she would have felt her efforts were wasted. The word "wearily" in the extract confirms her exhaustion and dejection at that moment.
Sentila bahut frustrated aur disappointed feel karti hogi. "Wearily" word confirm karta hai ki woh thak gayi thi aur umeed khone lagi thi.
Part II — Long Answer Questions
XI. Describe the process of pot making followed by expert pot makers, as observed by Sentila.
How to answer:
List the steps in order as Sentila watched them — from clay to finished pot.
View Answer
Hide Answer
As observed by Sentila, expert pot makers follow a careful process: they collect grey and red clay from the riverbank, pound it inside bamboo cylinders to soften it, then mould the clay into the desired shapes. The pots are then arranged on a bed of hay and left to dry. Finally, they are fired in a kiln. The potters rotate the clay expertly, using tools like spatulas and daos to shape the mouth and walls of each pot.
Sentila ne dekha: nadi se clay lao, cylinders mein pound karo, shape do, hay pe sukhao, kiln mein fire karo. Expert potters bahut carefully aur patiently yeh sab karte hain.
XII. What warning was given to Mesoba by the village council?
How to answer:
The council's warning relates to the value of traditional craft and the community's expectation.
View Answer
Hide Answer
The village council warned Mesoba that the tradition and skill of pot making must not be lost. They told him that such crafts belonged not to any individual but to the entire community, and that it was Arenla's duty to pass on the skill. They urged him to persuade Arenla to teach Sentila, failing which the family's right to the craft might be questioned.
Village council ne Mesoba ko warn kiya ki pottery skill sirf Arenla ki nahi — yeh poori community ki hai. Arenla ko Sentila ko sikhana chahiye warna yeh skill khatam ho jaayegi.
XIII. How did Sentila feel when she failed at pot making even after a year of training with her mother?
How to answer:
Go beyond just "sad" — think about perseverance, self-doubt, and longing.
View Answer
Hide Answer
After a year of training with her mother and still failing, Sentila likely felt a deep sense of despair and self-doubt. She may have wondered whether her passion for pot making was misplaced. However, the story suggests that her love for the craft did not die — she continued to watch and try secretly, showing that her sense of failure coexisted with an unshakeable desire to succeed.
Ek saal baad bhi fail hona bahut dukh deta hai. Sentila ko self-doubt hua hoga. Lekin uski passion itni strong thi ki woh rukti nahi — chori chori dekhti aur try karti rahi.
XIV. "Onula stood there for a long time as if trying to absorb a new phenomenon." Explain.
How to answer:
Think about what Onula was witnessing — why would seeing two rows of pots make her stand and stare?
View Answer
Hide Answer
Onula was astonished to see two rows of pots in the work shed — one row made by Arenla and another, nearly equal in quality and quantity, made by Sentila. This was a "new phenomenon" because Sentila, who had been struggling to learn, had suddenly blossomed into a skilled pot maker. Onula was absorbing the wonder of a young girl's passion and perseverance bearing fruit almost overnight.
Onula ne do rows of pots dekhe — ek Arenla ke, ek Sentila ke. Itna unexpected tha ki woh haiiran hokar khadi rahi. Yeh ek "nayi cheez" thi — passion ka phool banana.
XV. "The tradition and history of the people did not belong to any individual." What does this symbolise?
How to answer:
Think beyond the literal meaning — what does this say about culture, community, and craft?
View Answer
Hide Answer
This symbolises that traditional crafts like pot making are part of a community's collective heritage, not personal property. No single person can claim ownership over a skill that has been passed down through generations. Arenla refusing to teach Sentila is therefore not just a family matter — it threatens the continuity of the community's cultural identity and artistic legacy.
Iska matlab hai ki pottery sirf ek family ki nahi — yeh poori community ki dharohar hai. Koi bhi ek insaan isko rok nahi sakta. Sentila ka sikhna community ke liye zaroori hai.
XVI. What is the significance of the concluding line of the story, "A new pot maker was born"?
How to answer:
The line is simple but loaded with meaning — think about birth, tradition, and what Sentila's journey represents.
View Answer
Hide Answer
"A new pot maker was born" is significant on multiple levels. Literally, it announces that Sentila has mastered the craft. Symbolically, it represents the rebirth of a tradition that was nearly lost due to Arenla's resistance. It also echoes the idea of vocation as a calling — Sentila's talent was always there, waiting to be born. The line is triumphant and circular: what the story fears losing is, by the end, renewed.
Yeh line bahut meaningful hai. Literally: Sentila pot maker ban gayi. Symbolically: ek tradition jo khatam hone wali thi, woh jee uthi. Sentila ka janam ek naye pot maker ke roop mein.
XVII. What is the role of perseverance in pursuing one's dreams? Elaborate with reference to Sentila.
How to answer:
Use Sentila's journey as proof — show how each setback tested and then strengthened her resolve.
View Answer
Hide Answer
Perseverance is central to Sentila's story. Despite her mother's discouragement, a full year of failed attempts, and the community's doubts, Sentila never gave up. She observed other potters secretly, learnt from Onula's guidance, and continued practising even when results were poor. Her persistence is ultimately rewarded when she equals her mother's output. The story teaches us that passion alone is not enough — consistent effort and resilience in the face of failure are what transform a dream into reality.
Sentila ka example: maa ne mana kiya, ek saal fail rahi, community bhi doubtful thi — phir bhi nahi ruki. Perseverance matlab: mushkilon ke baad bhi koshish karte rehna. Isi se sapna sach hota hai.
You are here
