NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 4 (Transcript on page 203)Harvest Hymn (Sarojini Naidu) — Let us listen

Book page 181 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.

I. Listen to the talk about paddy cultivation. As you listen, number the events in the correct order in which they happen. 1. Transplanting of seedlings 2. Ploughing of soil 3. Threshing of grains 4. Puddling of land 5. Harvesting of paddy 6. Irrigating the field 7. Milling of rice

Answer

Event as printed in the book	Correct number	Line in the transcript
1. Transplanting of seedlings	4	'After this comes the most important step—transplanting. The seedlings… are uprooted and then transplanted into the flooded field.'
2. Ploughing of soil	1	'It all starts with preparing the land. First, the soil has to be ploughed.'
3. Threshing of grains	6	'the seeds are separated from the plant. This is called threshing.'
4. Puddling of land	2	'The most important step in preparing the soil is to soak it with plenty of water. This step is called puddling.'
5. Harvesting of paddy	5	'In around 120 days, the rice plants are fully grown. At this point, the crops are harvested by cutting them.'
6. Irrigating the field	3	'Paddy farmers have to ensure that their fields stay flooded with water because irrigation is crucial.'
7. Milling of rice	7	'Through a process called milling, the rice is separated from the outer covering on it.'

So the real sequence is:

Ploughing of soil → Puddling of land → Irrigating the field → Transplanting of seedlings → Harvesting of paddy → Threshing of grains → Milling of rice

How to keep the order straight: Group the seven steps into three phases and the sequence stops being a list to memorise. Prepare the land (plough, puddle, irrigate) → grow the crop (sow in the nursery bed, then transplant after 4–5 weeks) → process the grain (harvest, thresh, dry, mill). Nothing in phase three can happen before phase two, and nothing in phase two before phase one.

Did you know? The talk opens with a fact worth remembering: 'rice is actually a type of grass, and the part we eat is its seed'. Note also that sowing happens twice over in the process — first the seeds go into a nursery bed, and only the seedlings are moved into the main flooded field.

Q2.

II. 1. What is the main step in preparing the soil for cultivation of rice? (i) Ploughing the soil (ii) Clearing the soil (iii) Puddling the soil

Answer

(iii) Puddling the soil.

Why: The transcript is explicit: 'The most important step in preparing the soil is to soak it with plenty of water. This step is called puddling.' Ploughing does come first in time, but the talk names puddling as the main step — and the reason is practical. Puddling turns the soil into a soft, sealed mud that holds standing water instead of letting it drain away, which is exactly what paddy needs.

Listening tip: When one option is what happens first and another is what the speaker calls most important, the question wording decides. 'Main step' matches 'most important step', not 'first'.

Q3.

II. 2. How long does it take for rice seeds to grow into seedlings before being transplanted? (i) 2–3 weeks (ii) 4–5 weeks (iii) 6–7 weeks

Answer

(ii) 4–5 weeks.

Why: 'It takes around 4 to 5 weeks for the seeds to grow into seedlings. After this comes the most important step—transplanting.' The two sentences sit side by side, so the number and the step it belongs to are easy to link.

Tip: A talk of this kind usually contains only two or three numbers — here, 4–5 weeks and 120 days. Write each one down the moment you hear it, along with what it measures. Numbers heard once and not written are the commonest loss of marks in a listening test.

Q4.

II. 3. Why is drying rice grains important after threshing? (i) To get rice seeds for plantation (ii) To separate the rice grains easily (iii) To store the rice grains for longer

Answer

(iii) To store the rice grains for longer.

Why: 'To reduce the moisture content even more, the separated grains are dried. This ensures that they can be stored or processed further.' Damp grain rots and grows fungus; dry grain keeps for months. That is the whole purpose of the step.

Why the others fail: (ii) describes threshing, which has already happened — the grains are separated before drying, not by it. (i) is a real use of rice grain, but the transcript does not connect it to drying at all.

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