NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 1 –9The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Let us learn
Book page 8 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
You have learnt that naming words are called nouns and only proper nouns begin with a capital letter. Why has the author used a capital letter for the ‘River' even when it is a common noun? (Clue: Has the River been given qualities of a human being?)
Answer
Because in this story the river is not a thing — it is a character. The author gives it human qualities, so the common noun is turned into the character's name and takes a capital letter.
Human quality
Line from the text
It speaks
“Dear, dear!” said a sleepy, murmuring voice
It laughs and chuckles
The River laughed. “You? Scared?”; “She heard the river's sleepy chuckle”
It has likes and dislikes
“Trains are noisy; I prefer ships.”
It gives advice
“Try going to school first… Remember — it's up to you!”
Why it happens: This device is called personification — giving human qualities to a non-human thing. Notice that the author is careful: while Jahnavi still thinks it is only water, the word is written “the river” with a small r; the moment we know it is a speaking being, it becomes “the River”.
Q2.
There are a few words related to sound in the text. Pick the word from the text and write it next to the definition: made a high-pitched piercing sound.
Answer
shrieked
In the text: “It couldn't be the parrots, because parrots shrieked and this was such a sleepy voice.”
Your own sentence: The children shrieked with delight when the first rain of June arrived.
Q3.
Pick the word from the text: to cause liquid to strike or fall on something.
Answer
splashed
In the text: “A big bright tear splashed down her nose.” The glossary on page 2 explains it as “fell in drops, making a sound”.
Your own sentence: The buffalo splashed water all over the bank as it climbed out of the pond.
Q4.
Pick the word from the text: a low continuous background noise.
Answer
murmuring (the noun is murmur)
In the text: “said a sleepy, murmuring voice”. The glossary gives it as “speaking in a low voice”.
Your own sentence: A murmuring stream ran behind our tent all night.
Q5.
Pick the word from the text: cry with loud uncontrollable gasps.
Answer
sob (in the text as a noun: “she stopped with a sob”)
A sob is the broken, gasping sound a person makes while crying hard — which is why Jahnavi cannot finish her sentence, “They only…”.
Your own sentence: She tried to answer but a sob caught in her throat.
Q6.
Pick the word from the text: to make a soft dry sound, like paper or leaves moving.
Answer
rustle
In the text, among Jahnavi's questions: “why bamboo trees rustle”. The glossary on page 3 gives it as “light sound made by leaves rubbing against each other”.
Your own sentence: We heard the dry leaves rustle as a mongoose slipped past.
Q7.
Pick the word from the text: took a short quick breath through the mouth due to surprise, pain or shock.
Answer
gasped
In the text: “‘I couldn't,' gasped Jahnavi.” The word shows that the River's suggestion has frightened her so much that her breath catches.
Your own sentence: Ravi gasped when he saw the marks on his answer sheet.
Q8.
Pick the word from the text: shaking rapidly to make continuous short, sharp sounds.
Answer
rattling
In the text: “or the big trains rattling past that bridge”. The glossary on page 4 gives it as “noise made by shaking things”.
Your own sentence: The loose windowpane kept rattling in the storm.
Q9.
Pick the word from the text: making a lot of noise.
Answer
noisy
In the text: “Trains are noisy; I prefer ships,” said the River.
Your own sentence: The bus stand near our school is noisy from six in the morning.
Q10.
Pick the word from the text: made a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness.
Answer
wailed
In the text: “‘They'd never let me!' wailed Jahnavi.” The glossary on page 4 explains this use as “complained in a loud voice”.
Your own sentence: The little boy wailed when his kite got stuck in the tamarind tree.
Q11.
Now, fill in the blanks with suitable sound words from exercise (II). The classroom grew (i) _______ as the students noticed the teacher carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a (ii) _______, the children (iii) _______, wondering what comments awaited. Someone (iv) _______ in frustration, and the (v) _______ of the students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent performance, the students (vi) _______ with excitement.
Answer
Blank
Word
Why this word fits
(i)
noisy
The whole class begins talking at once when they see the answer papers.
(ii)
rustle
A rustle is exactly the soft dry sound paper makes when pages are turned.
(iii)
gasped
A short, quick, anxious breath — they do not know what the comments will say.
(iv)
wailed
A loud cry of complaint from one student in frustration.
(v)
murmur
The low continuous background noise of many students talking quietly.
(vi)
shrieked
A high-pitched cry — here of delight, when the teacher praises them.
The completed passage reads: “The classroom grew noisy as the students noticed the teacher carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a rustle, the children gasped, wondering what comments awaited. Someone wailed in frustration, and the murmur of the students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent performance, the students shrieked with excitement.”
Tip: The three words left over are splashed, sob and rattling — none of them suits a classroom of paper and voices.
Q12.
The word ‘catamaran' is used in the text. The word originates from the Tamil ‘kattu maram' meaning ‘tied wood'. Find out the meaning of this word and the Indian language it was borrowed from. An example has been given — 1. karma (Sanskrit)
Answer
karma — from Sanskrit karma, ‘action, deed'.
In English it means the belief that a person's actions decide what happens to them later; in everyday English it is used loosely for “what goes around comes around”.
Your own sentence: He believes that good karma brought him such kind neighbours.
Q13.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: sahib.
Answer
sahib — borrowed into English from Urdu/Hindi sāhib (which itself came into those languages from Arabic).
It is a respectful form of address meaning ‘sir', ‘master' or ‘gentleman'. In colonial India it was added after a name — Ram Singh sahib — and the form memsahib was used for a lady.
Your own sentence: The old gardener still calls the owner of the bungalow ‘sahib'.
Q14.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: chutney.
Answer
chutney — from Hindi chatni (related to chatna, ‘to lick').
It means a thick, spicy relish made by grinding fruit, vegetables or herbs with chillies, salt and spices. English took the word along with the food itself.
Your own sentence: Amma served the idlis with fresh coconut chutney.
Q15.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: guru.
Answer
guru — from Sanskrit guru, ‘heavy, weighty', hence ‘a person of weight; a teacher'.
In English it means a spiritual teacher or guide, and now also any recognised expert — “a management guru”.
Your own sentence: She learnt Bharatanatyam from her guru for eleven years.
Q16.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: verandah.
Answer
verandah — from Hindi baramda (the word reached English through Portuguese varanda during trade with India).
It means a roofed, open gallery or porch running along the outside of a house.
Your own sentence: We sat on the verandah and watched the rain fill the courtyard.
Q17.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: jungle.
Answer
jungle — from Hindi jangal (from Sanskrit jangala).
In Hindi it means wild, uncultivated land; in English it came to mean a thick tropical forest with tangled vegetation.
Your own sentence: The elephants disappeared into the jungle before we could photograph them.
Q18.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: areca.
Answer
areca — from Malayalam adakka / Kannada adike (again carried into English through Portuguese).
It is the areca palm and its nut — the supari chewed with betel leaf. English still calls the tree the areca palm and the nut the areca nut.
Your own sentence: Tall areca palms lined both sides of the village road.
Q19.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from: palanquin.
Answer
palanquin — from Sanskrit palyanka / Hindi palki (through Portuguese palanquim).
It is a covered litter for one person, carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers.
Did you know? Every word in this exercise reached English because of trade and travel. Catamaran came from Tamil kattu maram in exactly the same way — sailors borrowed the boat and the name together.
Q20.
Chandu, the fisherman, has a catamaran that the River preferred to a ship. Given below are some boats that are used in different parts of our country: 1. canoe 2. catamaran 3. coracle 4. shikara. Which one would you like to travel in?
Answer
First, know what each boat is — then the choice can be defended.
Boat
What it is
Where you see it
canoe
a narrow, light boat pointed at both ends, moved with a paddle
backwaters and rivers
catamaran
a boat with two joined hulls or logs tied together
the Tamil Nadu and Kerala coast
coracle
a small round basket-boat covered with hide or plastic sheet
the Kaveri at Hogenakkal, Karnataka
shikara
a long wooden boat with a canopy and cushioned seats
Dal Lake, Srinagar
Sample answer: “I would like to travel in a shikara. It moves slowly and silently, it has a canopy against the sun, and from it you can see the floating gardens and the houseboats of Dal Lake. Unlike a canoe, you do not have to paddle — you can simply look.”
Q21.
Make a colourful drawing of a boat that you would like to travel in.
Answer
This is a drawing activity, so do it in your notebook. A good drawing should show these things clearly:
the shape of the hull — pointed at both ends for a canoe, round for a coracle, two hulls for a catamaran, a canopy for a shikara;
how it is moved — paddle, oar, pole or sail;
the water and the shore, so the size of the boat is clear;
a label naming the boat and one line saying where in India it is used.
A rough guide to the shape — a long hull, a canopy on posts, and the water line drawn behind. Add your own colours.