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NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 1 The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Let us speak

Book page 13 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Read the sentence given below. “Dear, dear! What's the matter? … You shouldn't cry, you know. And you really shouldn't be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.” The River spoke to Jahnavi in a ‘sleepy' voice. Work in pairs and take turns to speak the same sentence in ‘other' voices. Some hints are given below: happy, surprised, angry, scared, sad, worried.
Answer

The words stay the same; only your tone, speed, loudness and stress change. Practise like this:

VoiceHow to say itStress the words
happybright and quick, voice rising at the end“Dear, dear! What's the matter?”
surpriseda sharp jump in pitch on the first words, then a pause“Dear, dear! — What's the matter?”
angrylouder, clipped, falling tone, harder consonants“You shouldn't cry, you know.”
scaredsoft, breathy, slightly shaky, faster“You really shouldn't be scared…”
sadslow, low pitch, falling at every phrase end“…every day, well, almost every day.”
worrieduneven pace, a little pause before each phrase“What's the matter?”
Why it happens: Meaning in speech comes from more than words. This is called intonation — the tune of the sentence. The author chose a “sleepy, murmuring” voice for the River because a slow, low tune sounds calm, and a calm voice is exactly what a crying child needs.
Q2.
Janhavi asks the River for advice and the River gives advice. Read the given situation and work in pairs to ask for and give advice. Take turns to change your roles. Use the prompts given. Situation (i): You wish to play football at school but it has an all-boys' team only.
Answer

Asking: “I have a problem with the football team at school — it takes only boys. What do you think I should do?”

Giving: “I think you should first speak to the games teacher and ask for a trial. If I were you, I would also collect the names of other girls who want to play, because a team of eleven is much harder to refuse than one girl. The best thing to do is to show up at practice regularly — the way Jahnavi simply walked into the school.”

Tip: Fill the prompt like this — “I have a problem with the school football team. What do you think I should do?”
Q3.
Situation (ii): You have been unable to score well in Mathematics due to nervousness during exams.
Answer

Asking: “My problem is that I know the sums at home but go blank in the Maths exam. Do you think I should ask for extra classes?”

Giving: “Why don't you write a full paper at home with a clock in front of you? If I were you, I would start with the questions I am sure about, so that the first ten minutes go well and the nervousness settles. You could also tell your Maths teacher — she may let you attempt a practice paper in the classroom itself.”

Q4.
Situation (iii): You really enjoy music classes but do not get enough time to practise for it.
Answer

Asking: “I have a problem finding time to practise music. I'd appreciate your advice on this issue.”

Giving: “The best thing to do is to fix a short, regular time — twenty minutes every evening is better than two hours on Sunday. Why don't you practise right after school, before you sit down to homework? If I were you, I would also ask the music teacher for one small piece to work on each week, so the practice has a clear aim.”

Q5.
Situation (iv): You cannot see the blackboard clearly from the last bench.
Answer

Asking: “I have a problem seeing the blackboard from the last bench. What would you do in my position?”

Giving: “I think you should tell your class teacher today itself and ask to be moved to a front bench. You shouldn't copy from a friend's notebook and manage — if I were you, I would also get my eyes tested, because trouble seeing the board is often the first sign that you need spectacles.”

Tip: Notice the shape of good advice in all four answers: name one clear first step, then a second step, and give a reason. That is exactly how the River advises Jahnavi.
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