NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 9 – Madam Rides the Bus

Page No 119:

Question 1:

What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

Answer:

Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and watch what was happening in the street outside.

Question 2:

What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

Answer:

A source of unending joy for Valli was the sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town, filled with a new set of passengers each time it passed through her street. Her strongest desire was to ride on that bus.

Question 3:

What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?

Answer:

Valli found out that the town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. She found out these details by listening carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and the people who regularly used the bus. She also gained information by asking them a few questions.

Question 4:

What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Answer:

Valli was planning to travel on that bus.

Page No 122:

Question 1:

Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

Answer:

When the conductor stretched out his hand to help her get on the bus, Valli said commandingly that she could get on by herself, and that she did not require his help. She did not act like a child, but as a grown-up girl and therefore, the conductor called her ‘madam’.

Question 2:

Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?

Answer:

Valli stood up on her seat because her view was cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. She stood up to look over the blind. She saw that the road was very narrow, on one side of which there was the canal and beyond it were palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue sky. On the other side, there was a deep ditch and many acres of green fields.

Question 3:

What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?

Answer:

When the elderly man called her a child, Valli told him that there was nobody on the bus who was a child. She had paid her fare of thirty paise like everyone else.

Question 4:

Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Answer:

Valli did not want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her absolutely repulsive. She saw that the woman had big holes in her ear lobes and very ugly earrings in them. She could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing, and could see the betel juice that was almost about to spill over her lips. That is why she did not want to be sociable with her.

Page No 125:

Question 1:

How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

Answer:

Valli had carefully saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like. Finally, she had saved sixty paise.

No, it was not easy for her, especially at the village fair where she was tempted to ride the merry-go-round as she had the money. However, she suppressed her strong desire and saved the money for the bus ride.

Question 2:

What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?

Answer:

Valli saw a young cow, whose tail was high in the air, running right in front of the bus in the middle of the road. The bus slowed and the driver sounded his horn loudly. However, the more he honked, the more frightened the cow became and it kept running faster and faster, right in front of the bus. Valli found it so amusing that she had tears in her eyes. At last, the cow moved off the road.

Question 3:

Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?

Answer:

She did not get off the bus at the bus station because she had to go back on that same bus. She took out another thirty paise from her pocket and handed the coins to the conductor. She just wanted to ride on the bus.

Question 4:

Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?

Answer:

Valli did not want to go to the stall and have a drink because she did not have any money for that. Even when the conductor offered her a cold drink free of charge, she refused firmly and said that she only wanted her ticket. This shows that Valli had a lot of self will and pride. Possibly, she did not want to take anything for free, particularly from a stranger.

Page No 127:

Question 1:

What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.

Answer:

Valli’s strongest desire was to ride on the bus she saw everyday. The sentences in the story which depict this are as follows:

“Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire.”

Question 2:

How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

Answer:

Valli planned that she would take the one o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five. She found out that the town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. She had carefully saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like, and finally she had saved sixty paise.

Question 3:

What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.

(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised ________________.

(ii) “Yes, I ____________ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.

(iii) “There’s nobody here ____________,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”

(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ___________. You don’t have to help me. “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, _____________.

(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I _____________,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.

(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ______________.”

Answer:

(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.

(ii) “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.

(iii) “There’s nobody here who’s a child,” she said haughtily. I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”

(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me. “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, irritably.

(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I can take care of myself,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.

(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.”

For Valli, the bus journey probably symbolised the adult world. Like anyone else, she spent her money to buy the ticket. She would have attained a great sense of pride and satisfaction in doing so. Therefore, though a child, Valli wanted to be treated as a grown-up on the bus. She had a great sense of self respect which prevented her from taking anyone’s help. She felt she was able to take care of herself very well, and was easily irritated when anyone treated her as a child.

Question 4:

Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?

Answer:

When the conductor stretched out his hand to help her get on the bus, Valli said commandingly that she could get on by herself, and that she did not require his help. She did not act like a child, but as a grown-up girl and therefore, the conductor called her ‘madam’. When the elderly man called her a child and asked her to sit down on her seat, she replied that nobody was a child on the bus. She kept stressing on the fact that she had paid her fare like everybody else and therefore, she should not be treated differently.

Question 5:

Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.

Answer:

The following lines in the text show that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus:

(i) “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”

(ii) “On the one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields − green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!”

(iii) “Everyone laughed, and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter. Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands with glee.”

(iv) “Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.”

(v) “Valli wasn’t bored to the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she’d felt the first time.”

Question 6:

Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

Answer:

Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back because she saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside, just where it had been struck by some fast-moving vehicle. It was the same cow that was running in front of their bus, during their trip to the town. She was overcome with sadness. The memory of the dead cow haunted her and therefore, she refused to look out of the window.

Question 7:

What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

Answer:

Valli’s mother said that many things happen around us, but we are usually unaware of them. Valli had gone on a bus ride to town, all alone, and had come back without any harm. She did all this without the knowledge of her mother. Hence, she agreed with what her mother said.

Question 8:

The author describes the things that Valii sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?

Answer:

The author has described the things that Valli saw from an eight-year-old’s point of view. She was fascinated by a bus. Watching the bus filled with a new set of people each time was a source of unending joy for her. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus. She saved money by cutting on peppermints, toys, and balloons, and even resisting the temptation to ride the merry-go-round at the fair. When the author describes the bus, the points he stresses on are the colour and look of the bus. It was a ‘new bus’, painted a ‘gleaming white’. The overhead bars ‘shone like silver’. The seats were ‘soft and luxurious’. The descriptions that the author gives when Valli looked outside are also typical for an eight-year-old. The ‘blue, blue sky’ and the ‘acres and acres of green fields − green, green, green’ show the enthusiasm of a kid on looking at different colours. Valli clapped her hands in glee on watching a cow run right in front of the bus. She found it so funny that tears came into her eyes. On the other hand, she was overcome with sadness on her way back when she saw the same cow lying dead. It had been a ‘lovable, beautiful creature’ and later it ‘looked so horrible’. The memory of the dead cow haunted her so much that she refused to look outside the window. These are the typical reactions of a young child.

 

Madam Rides the Bus Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English First Flight

Extract Based Questions [3 Marks each]

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow
Question 1.
But for Valli, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as any of the elaborate games other children played. Watching the street gave her many new unusual experiences.
(a) Why did Valli kept on standing at the doorway?
(b) How did Valli feel while standing at the doorway?
(c) Find a word from the extract which means ‘not very common’.
(d) How was valli different from children of her age?
Answer:
(a) Valli kept on standing at the doorway to watch the happenings on the street outside.
(b) Watching the street gave Valli many new experiences. She felt joyous standing at the doorway.
(c) ‘Unusual’ from the extract means ‘not very common’.
(d) Valli was different from children of her age as she was not interested in playing any elaborate games.

Question 2.
The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back. The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.
(a) How many times did the bus pass?
(b) What was the source of unending joy for Valli?
(c) Find a word from the extract which means ‘never ending’.
(d) What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
Answer:
(a) The bus passed through Valli’s street once in an hour.
(b) The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.
(c) ‘Unending’ from the extract means ‘never ending’.
(d) The most fascinating thing for Valli was watching the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town.

Question 3.
The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way “which is almost nothing at all,” she heard one well-dressed man say, but to Valli, who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the next, it seemed a fortune. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes.
(a) How much was the fare of the bus?
(b) How long would it take to complete her journey to reach back home?
(c) Find a word from the extract which means ‘luck’.
(d) What has been called ‘fortune’ for Valli?
Answer:
(a) The fare of the bus was thirty paise for one side.
(b) It would take one hour thirty minutes for Valli to complete her journey.
(c) ‘Fortune’ from the extract means ‘luck’.
(d) The bus fare which was thirty paise only a sum considered so small, has been called ‘fortune’ for Valli.

Question 4.
“Okay, okay, but first you must get on the bus,” said the conductor, and he stretched out a hand to help her up. “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me.”    [CBSE2014]
(a) Why did the conductor gave Valli a hand of help?
(b) How did Valli reacted to the conductor?
(c) Find a word from the extract which means ‘extended’.
(d) What trait of Valli’s character has been shown in the extract?
Answer:
(a) The conductor gave a helping hand to Valli so that she can climb the bus.
(b) Valli refused taking help from the conductor and said that she would get on the bus by herself.
(c) ‘Stretched’ from the extract means ‘extended’.
(d) The extract shows Valli as a self-dependent girl who didn’t seek anybody’s help.

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
Who was Valli?
Answer:
Valli was the short name of Valliamai. She was an eight year old girl who was very curious.

Question 2.
Why did Valli kept standing infront of the door?
Answer:
Valli kept standing infront of the door as there were no playmates of her age on her street. So, she used to keep on watching the street outside her house.

Question 3.
What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street?
Answer:
The most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back.

Question 4.
How did Valli gathered all the information about the bus?
Answer:
Over many days and months Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus. She also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she gathered all the information about the bus.

Question 5.
Where was the town located? What was the fare to travel there by bus?
Answer:
The town was located six miles from Valli’s village. The fare to travel to town by bus was thirty paise for one way.

Question 6.
What did Valli kept on planning and calculating continuously?
Answer:
Vails kept on planning and calculating which bus to take, how much time it will take to reach the town and the fare that would be required in completing her journey.

Question 7.
How was the interior and exterior of the bus?
Answer:
It was a new bus. Its outside was painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. There was a beautiful clock above the windshield and its seats were soft and luxurious.

Question 8.
How was the view outside the bus when it went through the canal?       [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields.

Question 9.
Why did the conductor wanted Valli to sit?
Answer:
The conductor initially told Valli that as she has paid for the ticket, she should sit. When she refused he told her that she may fall and hurt herself when the bus takes a sharp turn.

Question 10.
Why didn’t Valli want to talk to the elderly woman?
Answer:
The elderly woman was wearing ugly earrings and was chewing betel nut. The betel juice was about to seep out of her mouth. Valli found all this repulsive and hence did not wanted to talk to her

Question 11.
What questions did the old woman ask Valli?
Answer:
The old woman asked Valli if she was travelling alone. She also asked her whether she knew where exactly she had to go in the town.

Question 12.
How did Valli save money to travel by bus?     [CBSE2013]
Answer:
Valli had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons and ride on the merry-go-round at the village fair to save money for her bus journey.

Question 13.
How did Valli manage to travel by bus without the knowledge of her mother?
Answer:
Valli managed to travel by bus without the knowledge of her mother as she was asleep when Valli went out.

Question 14.
How did Valli feel on seeing the dead cow on the road?     [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
Valli was filled with sadness. She thought what had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little while ago had now suddenly lost its charm and its life and looked so horrible and frightening.

Question 15.
What did Valli see when she reached home?
Answer:
On reaching back home Valli saw that her mother was awake and talking to one of her aunts.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
In such a fast moving world when we hear so many incidents happening with people, do you think Valli did right by not telling her mother about the bus journey?      [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
No, I don’t think that Valli did the right thing in travelling alone to the town without informing her mother. By doing this, she put herself in a vulnerable position as she could have easily been a victim of child abuse had she come in contact with wrong people. In fact, she was lucky to return home safelty.
Children should always travel along with their parents or elders as they are easy targets for criminals. We hear a lot of instances of crime committed against children these days like kidnapping, child abuse, molestation, rape etc. Valli could have expressed her desire of travelling in the bus to her mother. I am sure that her mother would have fulfilled her wish by talking her on a bus ride.

Question 2.
The people and surroundings are a great book to learn. Valli in the lesson ‘Madam Rides The Bus’ learns a lot from others. Mention the traits of her character which help her to learn from her surroundings.
Answer:
Valli dreamt of riding on the bus. Her eagerness to fulfill her dream fired her curiosity. This curiousness led her to listen to the conversations of people going on the bus ride and asking discreet questions so that she could gather as much information as she can regarding the bus journey.
On the bus journey, Valli acted confidently and behaved maturedly. She did not consider herself to be any less than an adult. She was focused on fulfilling her dream and did not get tempted to go outside the bus and explore the town when the bus reached the town.
On the return journey, she learnt about death when she came to terms with the dead cow. This made her aware of the fact that death is a part of life and should be accepted as it is a natural phenomenon. Thus, the bus journey made her learn a lot of things.

Question 3.
Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great. Which characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender age?    [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
In today’s era, age is no more a barrier. Children are doing wonders at a very young age. Same goes with Valli. At an age of 8 years, Valli was able to pursue her dream all alone by travelling in the bus to town. She was no different from others, except that she had certain characteristics that made her fulfil her dreams. Valli was a very confident and a bold girl. She had a knowledge of proper planning and execution. She controlled her wishes to save money for the bus ride. Also, she was a very good observer and learner. All these qualities made her realise the dream of visiting the town. Hence, one should always remember that there is no age to learn and experience new things.

Question 4.
What kind of person is Valli? Illustrate your answer from the text that you have read.     [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Valli was a detetmined, confident and brave girl. She was also a good planner and executioner. She sacrificed a lot of things to achieve her dream. For example, she curbed the temptation to buy sweets and riding on the merry-go-round in the fair so that she could save money for the bus ride. Sacrificing all these things at such a tender age is very difficult for a child. She also behaved confidently in the bus and did not get bobbed down in the presence of elders.
When the bus reached the town, Valli did not succumb to the temptation of going out to explore the town or having a drink. She did this as she had a limited amount of money which she wanted to ‘ save for her return journey. So, Valli used her money wisely. When the conductor offered her a drink, she showed good manners in refusing to have it.

MCQ Questions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus with Answers

Question 1.
What amused Valli the most?
(a) The sight of buffalo running in front of the bus.
(b) The sight of people running in front of the bus.
(c) The sight of dog running in front of the bus.
(d) The sight of cow running in front of the bus.

Answer

Answer: (d) The sight of cow running in front of the bus.


Question 2.
What did Valli do one fine spring day?
(a) Caught the bus to the town.
(b) Caught the bus to the village.
(c) Caught the car to the town.
(d) Caught the car to the village.

Answer

Answer: (a) Caught the bus to the town.


Question 3.
What did Valli wish?
(a) Bus ride
(b) Truck ride
(c) Car ride
(d) Cycle ride

Answer

Answer: (a) Bus ride


Question 4.
What was her favourite pastime?
(a) To stand at the front doorway and look into the street.
(b) To stand at the front doorway and look every passenger.
(c) To stand at the back doorway and look every passenger.
(d) None of the Above

Answer

Answer: (a) To stand at the front doorway and look into the street.


Question 5.
What was the most fascinating scene for Valli in the street?
(a) The bus with new set of curtains every time.
(b) The bus with new set of passengers every time.
(c) The bus with new driver every time.
(d) The bus with new conductor every time.

Answer

Answer: (b) The bus with new set of passengers every time.


Question 6.
What can you tell about the conductor from the text?
(a) he was funny
(b) he was grumpy
(c)he was quiet
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) he was funny


Question 7.
What was the timing of the afternoon nap taken by Valli’s mother?
(a) 1 to 3
(b) 1 to 4
(c) 2 to 4
(d) 2 to 3

Answer

Answer: (b) 1 to 4


Question 8.
What saddened Valli?
(a) the dead cow
(b) car accident
(c) the handicapped passenger
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) the dead cow


Question 9.
What does it tell you about Valli when she refused to accept the conductor’s treat?
(a) responsible
(b) stubborn
(c) rude
(d) disrespectful

Answer

Answer: (a) responsible


Question 10.
What made her laugh on her journey?
(a) the sight of a running cow
(b) the old woman’s earrings
(c) the old man
(d) None of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) the sight of a running cow


Question 11.
What did she have to resist on Village Fair Day to save for the ride?
(a) balloons
(b) merry go round
(c) toys
(d) peppermint

Answer

Answer: (b) merry go round


Question 12.
Why did Vali find the woman repulsive?
(a) she had large piercings in her ears
(b) she wore ugly earrings
(c) she was chewing betel nut which could spill out any moment
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (d) all of the above


Question 13.
What did the old man say to Valli that annoyed her?
(a) He shouted at her
(b) he asked why she’s alone
(c) he merely asked her to sit
(d) None of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) he merely asked her to sit


Question 14.
How did she pick up small details about the bus journey?
(a) listening to conversations of neighbours
(b) asking a few discreet questions
(c) All of the above
(d) None of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) All of the above


Question 15.
“Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus.” What is the meaning of wistfully?
(a) fearfully
(b) carefully
(c) willingly
(d) longingly

Answer

Answer: (d) longingly


Question 16.
How many times did the bus cross her street per hour?
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 4
(d) 6

Answer

Answer: (b) 2


Question 17.
What was Valli’s age?
(a) 7
(b) 8
(c) 9
(d) None of these

Answer

Answer: (b) 8


Question 18.
Who is the author of the lesson “Madam rides the Bus”?
(a) Gavin Maxwell
(b) Vallikkannan
(c) Paulo Coehlo
(d) Arup Kumar Dutta

Answer

Answer: (b) Vallikkannan


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