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Extract from the Story
"I wish," said Ravi’s mother, hurriedly putting some green, red and orange tablets on a saucer, "that somebody would invent a memory — Vitamin-M, they could call it, and we could give it to old people to help them improve their memories."
"Shh … Grandpa’ll hear you," said Ravi, pointing to the frail old figure sitting in the rocking chair, holding the newspaper inches from his nose to read it.
"Shh … Grandpa’ll hear you," said Ravi, pointing to the frail old figure sitting in the rocking chair, holding the newspaper inches from his nose to read it.
Summary in Bullet Points
- Vidya worries that Grandpa’s memory, hearing and eyesight are weakening. frail = physically weak or delicate; here it describes Grandpa’s old body.
- Grandpa has shifted to Ravi’s city flat because he had become too old to live alone safely.
- Two recent incidents frightened the family: he took a double dose of medicine and once forgot his way home. absent-mindedly = while not paying proper attention.
- Grandpa resents the move because he had looked after himself for most of his seventy-five years. resent = to feel angry or upset because something seems unfair.
- He misses his quiet brick house, garden and mango tree, and dislikes the noisy city flat. poky = small, cramped and uncomfortable.
Vidya ko darr hai ki Grandpa ki memory (yaaddasht), hearing (sunna), aur eyesight (aankhein) kamzor ho rahi hai. Frail matlab physically kamzor. Do incidents ne sab ko dara diya: ek baar unhone double dose medicine le li, aur ek baar ghar se akele nikal gaye. Isliye Vidya ne Ravi ko Grandpa ko ghar par rakhne ki zimmedaari di.
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Check Your Understanding — Part I (NCERT Kaveri page 102)
Q I ("Why did Grandpa dislike city life?") relates directly to this opening section. See Check Your Understanding
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Fill in the Blank (Bracket Choice). 1 mark
Grandpa was described as a __________ old figure. (frail / careless)
How to answer:
Use the clue in the sentence and the extract. Choose the word or phrase that fits both meaning and grammar.
View Answer
Answer:
frail
frail = physically weak or delicate.
Why: The line shows his physical weakness, not his character or intelligence.
frail = physically weak or delicate.
Why: The line shows his physical weakness, not his character or intelligence.
Vidya wished someone would invent __________ to improve old people’s memories. (Vitamin-M / Vitamin-C)
How to answer:
Use the clue in the sentence and the extract. Choose the word or phrase that fits both meaning and grammar.
View Answer
Answer:
Vitamin-M
Why: The invented name means a memory vitamin. This gives the chapter its title.
Why: The invented name means a memory vitamin. This gives the chapter its title.
MCQ. Character Situation (1 mark)
Why has Grandpa come to live with Ravi’s family?
How to answer:
Read the question stem first. Check each option against the story/extract and eliminate the unsupported options before choosing.
View Answer
Answer:
B. He is too old to live alone safely.
Why: The story mentions the medicine incident, the lost walk, and the fall in the garden.
Why: The story mentions the medicine incident, the lost walk, and the fall in the garden.
Short Answer. Inference (2 marks)
What contrast is created between Grandpa’s town house and the city flat?
How to answer:
Answer directly in the first sentence. Then support it with one clear reason or textual clue from the story.
View Answer
Answer:
Grandpa’s town house is quiet, spacious and linked to freedom; the city flat is noisy, crowded and cramped. This contrast explains why Grandpa feels trapped and why he resists Vidya’s control.
