NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Reading Skills Chapter 1
NCERT solutions for Class 11 English Unit Reading Skills Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady – complete answers & explanations
In this blog, we will help you with the NCERT solutions for Class 11 English, Chapter 1: *The Portrait of a Lady*, from the *Hornbill* book. The chapter, written by Seerat Sandhu, delves into the author's relationship with his grandmother. Through three distinct phases of his life—childhood, school years, and university years—the chapter reflects on the bond between the author and his grandmother, capturing their deep connection. The narrative touches upon themes of love, spirituality, and the passage of time. This blog will guide you through the exact NCERT-aligned answers from the worksheet, helping you grasp all key concepts while also enhancing your exam readiness. Download the worksheet and practice alongside solutions for better clarity. Book a free trial now to get expert guidance.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
1. The relationship between the author
and his grandmother, including three key phases: childhood, school years, and university years.
2. The author's grandmother's religious and spiritual practices, such as her daily prayers and care for the author.
3. The effects of time and separation on their bond, including the changes in their relationship when the author left for the city.
4. The grandmother’s personality, her compassion for nature (feeding sparrows), and her acceptance of seclusion.
5. The emotional depth shown when the author recalls his grandmother’s death and the silence of the sparrows.
6. A reflection on the significance of family and the impact of spiritual practices on the elderly.
How to use these NCERT solutions?
1. Attempt the questions first: Before
referring to the solutions, try answering the questions on your own to test your understanding of the chapter.
2. Use the answers for checking: After attempting the questions, check your answers with the provided solutions to identify where you went wrong.
3. Guide for parents and teachers: Parents and teachers can use the answers to guide students and explain any misunderstandings.
4. Follow the worksheet order: The solutions follow the exact order of the worksheet, ensuring that you can easily find answers to each question.
Important tips & tricks for students
1. Common mistakes to avoid: Ensure that you understand the theme of each phase in the author's life, especially how the relationship with his grandmother evolves.
2. NCERT expectations: NCERT solutions expect detailed answers, so focus on providing context and not just one-line answers.
3. How to score full marks: Pay close attention to the changes in the author's relationship with his grandmother, and elaborate on each phase as mentioned in the text.
4. Approach for activities and speaking tasks: For subjective tasks, be sure to provide personal reflections, which are often required in the Talking About the Text and Thinking About Language sections.
NCERT solutions – complete answer key
1. The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad:
- Childhood: The author was closely bonded with his grandmother. She woke him up, prepared him for school, and they were always together.
- School years: The bond started to loosen when the author went to the city school, and his grandmother did not accompany him.
- University years: The relationship became distant, with the author having his own room, and his grandmother spending her time in prayer and solitude.
2. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school:
- The school was not connected to the temple, and the author was learning subjects that she did not believe in.
- She felt uncomfortable with the lack of religious teachings at the new school.
- She could not help him with his lessons, which made her unhappy.
3. Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up:
- She sat by her spinning wheel, reciting prayers from sunrise to sunset.
- She fed the sparrows every afternoon, breaking bread into bits.
- She lived in seclusion, rarely talking to others, and focused on her spiritual practices.
4. The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died:
- She stopped praying, which was unusual for her, and instead, she sang and played a drum with the neighborhood women. This was the first time in her life she did not pray.
5. The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died:
- The sparrows gathered around her body, sitting quietly without chirping. They ignored the bread offered to them and flew away when her body was taken.
6. “This circumstance” refers to the poet’s mother’s death:
- It refers to the passage of time and the finality of death, highlighting the irreversible change in the poet’s life.
7. First phase, Second phase, and Third phase:
- First phase: The poet’s mother as a young girl, captured in the photograph with her cousins.
- Second phase: The poet’s mother, now older, reflecting on the photograph with laughter and nostalgia.
- Third phase: The poet’s mother’s death and the poet’s reflection on the past, filled with grief and loss.
Why NCERT solutions help students?
NCERT solutions help students build strong foundational knowledge by providing clear, accurate, and reliable answers aligned with the NCERT textbooks. They improve exam readiness by offering direct, correct answers that reflect the key themes and concepts of the chapter. By practicing with these solutions, students can ensure a deeper understanding of the material, gain confidence, and be better prepared for tests and exams.
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