NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 3 Spectacular Wonders — Let us learn
Book page 144 to 148 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
Fill in the blanks with the correct expressions from the text given in the box below. [came into existence, to no end, in full glory, in disbelief, to name a few, age-old problem] 1. I have read many stories _____________________. 2. Do you know when this little town _____________________? 3. His hard work has helped him _____________________. 4. There are no simple solutions to the _____________________ of traffic jams. 5. He opened the ancient wooden box and stared at the treasure _____________________. 6. The garden is _____________________ in spring with lots of beautiful flowers in bloom.
Answer
No.
Answer
What the expression means
Where it appears in the chapter
1
to name a few
mentioning only some examples out of many
“…the grey langur, flying squirrel, red fox, lime butterfly, and snow leopard, to name a few.”
2
came into existence
began to exist; was formed
“This ancient landform… came into existence when a colossal meteorite… crashed into the Earth.”
3
to no end
very much; endlessly
“a fascinating sight which arouses curiosity to no end.”
4
age-old problem
a difficulty that has existed for a very long time
“an innovative and indigenous solution to solve this age-old problem.”
5
in disbelief
unable to believe what one is seeing
“a sight that has left tourists in disbelief for years.”
6
in full glory
at its finest and most complete
“a place where nature blooms in its full glory.”
Two of these need care.
To no end looks as though it should mean ‘pointlessly', but it means the opposite of a small amount — very much, without limit. “His hard work has helped him to no end” = it has helped him enormously.
To name a few is a tail, not a head: it follows a list. Sentence 1 makes full sense when the list is there — “I have read many stories — the Panchatantra, the Jataka tales, Tenali Rama, to name a few.”
Q2.
Select the correct synonyms from the box given below that match the list of words in 1–5. You may refer to a thesaurus. [colossal, exotic, serene, enigmatic, spectacular] 1. mysterious, puzzling, baffling 2. mighty, gigantic, huge 3. breath-taking, stunning, awe-inspiring 4. peaceful, calm, tranquil 5. unusual, peculiar, foreign
Answer
No.
Given words
Synonym
Used in the chapter of…
1
mysterious, puzzling, baffling
enigmatic
the “enigmatic charm” of India's landscapes
2
mighty, gigantic, huge
colossal
the “colossal meteorite” that made the Lonar crater
3
breath-taking, stunning, awe-inspiring
spectacular
the trek that “offers spectacular views of beautiful waterfalls”
4
peaceful, calm, tranquil
serene
“the serene backwaters of Kumbalangi village”
5
unusual, peculiar, foreign
exotic
“around 600 species of exotic flowers”
Synonyms are not equals. Each of these five carries something the plainer word does not:
Enigmatic suggests a riddle that has an answer, if only you could find it — which is exactly the mood of this chapter.
Colossal is about sheer physical size; you would not call a colossal idea colossal.
Spectacular means worth watching — it contains the idea of a spectacle, an audience.
Serene describes a calm that is deep and unbroken, usually of a place or a face.
Exotic originally meant ‘from outside', which is why it can mean both foreign and strikingly unusual.
Q3.
The expressions ‘hide-and-seek’ and ‘flora and fauna’ are used in the text. These are called binomials—a pair of fixed words joined by ‘and’ or ‘or’. The binomials are mostly synonyms, antonyms, rhyming words, same sound words (alliterations), etc. Match the binomials in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. You may refer to a dictionary. Column 1: 1. odds and ends 2. on and off 3. mix and match 4. all or nothing 5. part and parcel 6. pick and choose 7. sooner or later 8. leaps and bounds. Column 2: (i) put different things together to get a range of possibilities (ii) complete part of or belong to (iii) choose only the best (things, people, etc.) (iv) at some time in the future (v) sometimes, occasionally (vi) increase or develop very quickly (vii) small, unimportant things (viii) something to be done completely or not at all
Answer
Binomial
Meaning
What holds the pair together
1. odds and ends
(vii) small, unimportant things
Rhythm and near-rhyme; both words mean ‘leftover bits'
2. on and off
(v) sometimes, occasionally
Antonyms — the alternation is the meaning
3. mix and match
(i) put different things together to get a range of possibilities
Alliteration (m…m)
4. all or nothing
(viii) something to be done completely or not at all
The order of a binomial is fixed. You may say hide-and-seek but never ‘seek-and-hide'; flora and fauna but never ‘fauna and flora'. Speakers of a language settle on one order and keep it, usually the one that is easier to say — the shorter word first, or the one with the lighter vowel. Learn each binomial as a single item, like one long word.
Q4.
Use the binomials given in Column 1 in sentences of your own.
Answer
Binomial
Sentence
odds and ends
The bottom drawer is full of odds and ends — old keys, broken chargers and a torch with no batteries.
on and off
It rained on and off all through the afternoon, so the match was never properly stopped and never properly played.
mix and match
You can mix and match the three shirts and two trousers to get six different outfits for the trip.
all or nothing
For the final match it was all or nothing — a draw would have knocked our school out of the tournament.
part and parcel
Losing sometimes is part and parcel of learning any new game.
pick and choose
With only twenty minutes left, you cannot pick and choose the questions you like — answer them in order.
sooner or later
Sooner or later somebody will notice that the library's clock has been ten minutes fast all year.
leaps and bounds
Her spoken English has improved by leaps and bounds since she began reading aloud every morning.
Two usage notes. ‘Improve by leaps and bounds' always takes by. ‘Part and parcel of' always takes of. Learning the preposition along with the phrase saves you from the commonest mistake.
Q5.
Study the highlighted words in the following sentences from the text. • The living root bridges are one of Meghalaya’s most beautiful… • …creating a striking visual contrast against the surrounding rugged terrain. In the given sentences, the highlighted words ‘living’, ‘striking’, and ‘rugged’ are examples of verbs used as adjectives. Such verbs are called participles. Now, fill in the blanks using present participle or past participle form of the verbs in the box given below. [stand, amaze, carve, scatter, glow] 1. The _______________ marble monument looks even more spectacular in the moonlight. 2. The _______________ view of the Himalayas from Darjeeling attracts visitors from all over the world. 3. The Sun Temple in Konark features intricately _______________ stone wheels and walls. 4. _______________ at a height of 182 m, the Statue of Unity is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. 5. The _______________ islands of the Andaman and Nicobar offer some of the cleanest beaches in India.
Answer
No.
Answer
Type
Why that form
1
glowing
Present participle
The monument is doing the glowing — an ongoing action
2
amazing
Present participle
The view causes amazement. (An amazed view would mean the view itself was astonished.)
3
carved
Past participle
The wheels did not carve; they were carved — the action was done to them, and is finished
4
Standing
Present participle
Opens a participial phrase describing the statue: Standing at a height of 182 m, the Statue…
5
scattered
Past participle
The islands were scattered by geology; they are in a scattered state
The one rule that decides every case: ask whether the noun is doing the action or having it done to it.
Noun does the action → –ing (present participle): the glowing monument, the amazing view Action is done to the noun → –ed / –en / –t (past participle): the carved wheels, the scattered islands
This is also why an amazing student and an amazed student mean quite different things — and why “I am boring” is not what you meant to say about yourself.
Punctuation note for 4: a participial phrase at the front of a sentence is followed by a comma, and must describe the subject that comes next. “Standing at a height of 182 m, the Statue of Unity is…” is correct. “Standing at a height of 182 m, visitors admire the statue” would say the visitors are 182 metres tall.
Q6.
Study the highlighted word in the following sentence from the text. Crossing the many waterways without bridges was difficult for people in the past, during monsoons. In the given sentence, the highlighted word ‘crossing’, is one example of a verb used as a noun. Such a verb is called gerund. Underline the gerunds and participles in the following sentences. Write ‘G’ for gerunds and ‘P’ for participles in the space provided. One example has been done for you. 1. Dancing is a great way to express emotions. G 2. Travelling can broaden your perspective. 3. The falling leaves signalled the arrival of autumn. 4. She enjoys cooking new recipes for her family. 5. Reading helps improve your vocabulary. 6. He watched the shimmering stars in the night sky. 7. Forgetting the keys inside, Kanchan locked the door.
Answer
No.
Word
G / P
Its job in the sentence
1
Dancing
G
Subject of ‘is' (example)
2
Travelling
G
Subject of ‘can broaden'
3
falling
P
Describes the noun ‘leaves' — which leaves? the falling ones
4
cooking
G
Object of the verb ‘enjoys' — she enjoys what?
5
Reading
G
Subject of ‘helps'
6
shimmering
P
Describes the noun ‘stars'
7
Forgetting
P
Opens a participial phrase describing Kanchan
The test, in one question: both gerunds and present participles end in –ing, so ask what the word is doing in the sentence, not what it looks like.
Can you replace it with a noun or a pronoun (it, music, the journey)? Then it is a gerund. “It is a great way to express emotions” works, so Dancing is a gerund.
Is it telling you which or what kind of noun? Then it is a participle. “The falling leaves” answers which leaves?
Sentence 7 catches many students: a phrase at the start of a sentence, followed by a comma and then a subject, is nearly always a participial phrase, not a gerund.
Q7.
Combine the following pairs of sentences using participles or gerunds. You may use the clues given in brackets. One example has been done for you. 1. Nitesh entered the room. He saw his friend sitting in the corner. (participle) — Entering the room, Nitesh saw his friend sitting in the corner. 2. Smitha walked carelessly. She slipped on the doormat. (participle) 3. Sleep for eight hours. It is good for health. (gerund) 4. Ranjith felt happy about the result. He called his parents. (participle) 5. Father encouraged Meena. Meena joined the course. (gerund)
Answer
No.
Combined sentence
How it was done
2
Walking carelessly, Smitha slipped on the doormat.
The first verb becomes a present participle; the subject Smitha is kept once
3
Sleeping for eight hours is good for health.
The imperative becomes a gerund and takes over as the subject, replacing the empty ‘It'
4
Feeling happy about the result, Ranjith called his parents.
Same pattern as 2 — the reason comes first as a participial phrase
5
After being encouraged by her father, Meena joined the course. (also acceptable: Father's encouragement resulted in Meena's joining the course.)
‘Being' is a gerund after the preposition after; in the alternative, ‘joining' is the gerund
The two patterns to learn:
Participle: [–ing phrase], + main clause with the same subject Walking carelessly, Smitha slipped…
Gerund: the –ing word becomes a noun — subject, object, or object of a preposition Sleeping for eight hours is good… | after being encouraged…
Danger — the dangling participle. The subject after the comma must be the one performing the –ing action. “Walking carelessly, the doormat tripped Smitha” makes the doormat do the walking. Always check the word immediately after the comma.