NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 4 Travel (poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay) — Let us do these activities before we read

Book page 157 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.

Answer

Add at least four more words in each bubble. Here is a filled web you can compare with your own.

Bubble	Words to fill in
Modes of Transport	bus, train, aeroplane, ship, ferry, metro, auto-rickshaw, cycle, bullock cart, camel, on foot
Reasons for Travel	work, study, holiday, pilgrimage, a wedding, meeting relatives, medical treatment, sport, business, migration
Adventure Activities	exploring, trekking, mountaineering, river rafting, scuba diving, paragliding, rock climbing, camping, cycling, skiing
Feelings	joy, excitement, curiosity, wonder, impatience, homesickness, nervousness, relief, freedom, tiredness
Destinations	riverside, hill station, seashore, desert, forest, temple town, big city, village, island, national park
Challenges	bad weather, delayed trains, heavy luggage, a lost ticket, language problems, altitude sickness, blocked roads, crowds, high cost

Tip: Keep each bubble to one kind of word. “Trekking” belongs in Adventure Activities, not in Modes of Transport, even though you do move about while trekking.

Q2.

You are going on a trip to an adventure camp with your classmates and teacher. 1. How will you travel to the adventure camp?

Answer

Answer for your own class and give a reason for the choice.

Sample answer: Our camp is at Kanatal, about 300 kilometres away, so we will travel by overnight train to Dehradun and then by a hired bus up the hill road. A train is cheaper for forty students than a bus for the whole distance, and the last stretch is too narrow and winding for a big coach, so a smaller bus makes sense.

What makes a good answer: Name the mode and the reason — distance, cost, road conditions, number of people, or safety.

Q3.

2. What things will you take along?

Answer

Group your list so that nothing is forgotten.

Group	What to pack
Clothing	Two sets of quick-drying clothes, a warm jacket, a cap, a raincoat, sturdy shoes and one spare pair of socks
Safety and health	Torch with spare cells, a small first-aid box, my regular medicines, sunscreen, a whistle
Food and water	A refillable water bottle, dry snacks, glucose or ORS
Papers	School identity card, the signed permission slip, a copy of my parents' phone numbers
Others	Notebook and pen, a small towel, a cloth bag for wet clothes, a rubbish bag

Tip: Pack light. On a trek you carry everything you bring — so leave out anything you cannot name a use for.

Q4.

3. Why would you like to go there?

Answer

Give a real reason, not just “it will be fun”.

Sample answer: I want to go because I have never spent a night away from a city, and I want to find out whether I can put up a tent, cook a simple meal and sleep in the open without being frightened. I also want to see the night sky properly — in our colony the street lights hide the stars.

A good reason answers “what will this trip give me that home cannot?” — a new skill, a new place, time with friends, a test of courage, a chance to see wildlife.

Q5.

4. What are the activities you would like to do with your friends?

Answer

Sample answer: I would like to do a short trek to the ridge at sunrise, try rappelling down the practice rock, take part in the river crossing on a rope, and help build the campfire in the evening. At night I would like us to play antakshari and to spot constellations with the camp instructor.

Tip: Mention at least one activity that needs a group — river crossing, a relay trek, pitching a tent, a treasure hunt. That is the whole point of going with friends rather than alone.

Q6.

5. How much time will it take to complete your adventure trip?

Answer

Work it out as a small timetable rather than giving one figure.

Stage	Time
School to Dehradun by overnight train	about 9 hours
Dehradun to the camp by bus	about 3 hours
Stay at the camp	3 days and 2 nights
Return journey	about 12 hours
Total	5 days, 4 nights

Tip: Always add a little spare time for delays. Ruskin Bond's night mail was often late too — Sunder Singh says it comes “about nine o'clock, if it isn't late”.

Q7.

Discuss in pairs. What might be the reasons that people enjoy train journeys?

Answer

Bring out several reasons, and give an example for each.

You can move about. Unlike a bus or a plane, a train lets you walk to the door, stand at the window and stretch your legs.
The changing scenery. Fields, rivers, bridges, tunnels and village lights slide past the window for hours — the journey itself becomes the sightseeing.
The people. Strangers share food and stories in a train coach in a way they never do elsewhere. Many friendships begin over a shared newspaper or an orange.
The food. Vendors calling “Chai, garam chai”, station platform snacks that are special to each region — peda at Mathura, vada at Lonavala.
The rhythm. The steady clatter of wheels is comforting; many people say they sleep better on a train than at home.
Space and time. A long train journey is unhurried. You can read, sketch, look out of the window or simply do nothing.
Cost and reach. Trains are affordable and go to small towns that planes never touch.

Link with the poem you are about to read: The speaker of Travel never actually boards a train. What she loves is the idea of going — the whistle, the sparks, the possibility. Ask yourselves in your pair: is that also part of why people enjoy train journeys?

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