Chapter 3 The Call of the Soil
1.Complete the following sentences.
Answer: a. Before eating apples brought from the market, I wash and peel them off to stay away from any sort of contamination as far as possible.
b. In a farmer’s market, we find rice, pulses, vegetables, fruits, dairy items, eggs, etc.
c. Food adulteration means an addition of another substance to a food which may result in the loss of actual quality of food and its natural composition.
d. Organic food is grown by using fertilizers made with natural ingredients, renewable resources and conservation of soil and water.
e . Organic fertilizer means a type of fertilizer derived from animal matter, human and animal excreta (manure) and vegetable matter, that is, compost and crop residues.
2. Read the extract and state whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) Growing in abundance is more important than the quality of the crop.
Answer: False. The quality of the crop is more important than growing in abundance a lesser variety of crop.
(b) The author wanted to grow the desi variety of rice.
Answer: True
(c) The author did not succeed in finding Kasbai.
Answer: False. The author was successful in finding Kasbai from an Adivasi woman at Boripada, a remote village.
(d) The aroma of the ‘desi’ rice would spread around the village.
Answer: True
(e) Newer hybrid crops have a great appetite for chemicals.
Answer: True
(f) The author is an example of‘reverse migration’.
Answer: True (‘Reverse Migration’ is a new trend of shifting from bigger cities to nearby smaller towns or suburbs)
3. Read the text and All in the blanks.
Answer: (a) The author wanted to grow organic moong.
(b) Moru Dada wanted to spray pesticides on the moong crop.
(c) Baban’s father and some elders mentioned the name of Kasbai.
(d) “Hybrids need more water, fertilizers and pesticides”, said Devu Handa.
(e) The author bought ten kilos of rice from an Adivasi woman who lived in the remote hills.
4. List the reactions of the agricultural officer to the author’s inquiry about Kasbai rice seeds.
Answer: (a) He had not heard of Kasbai.
(b) He felt that the villagers were fooling the author.
(c) He mentioned the names of the latest hybrids and also offered to give him some, free of cost.
(b) Note down Devu Handa’s fond memories of Kasbai.
Answer: Devu Handa’s fond memories of Kasbai are as follows:
5. The writer says he grew “an awful lot of moong”. Explain the word ‘awful’ in this sentence.
Answer: Here “an awful lot” means a very large amount. People thought the writer would not get
a good crop because he avoided chemicals. But Nature helped, and he got about 300 kg of moong.
So, “awful” here means big in quantity, not bad.
6. Explain how the word ‘scent’ in the subtitle A Scent of Rice has a deeper meaning than
‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’. Also, pick phrases with similar meaning.
Answer: The word “scent” here means flavour, tradition, and identity, not just perfume. The
author wanted to revive the old Kasbai rice, famous for its aroma, unlike the hybrid varieties. The
“scent” stands for his search for real, natural India.
1. Phrases with similar meaning:
2. In pursuit of
3. On the trail of
7. Give reason why the text is against ‘Planting and growing more crop a year seems to be progress by normal standards.’
Answer: Definitely planting and growing more crops a year need to be the target of the farmers
but that should not be done at the cost of health hazards due to spraying of chemicals on the
plants, using hybrid seeds and most importantly, forgetting our own tradition. Progress is always
welcome but it should go hand in hand with safety of health and environment, importance of
tradition and sentiment and last but not the least care for the rich biodiversity of our land.
8. Describe in 150 words your experience similar to the writer’s when you pursued something and reached your goal.
Answer: I believe “A man without an aim is like a ship without a radar”. I have been taught from
my childhood to set a goal for myself. The choice of my ambition was left to me only and I was
never forced to do anything.
I had multiple interests like playing football, drawing / painting and also writing about my
various experiences. I started writing blogs on different social topics of my interest as well as of
my own experiences in multiple walks of life. Gradually, after getting positive responses to my
blogs, I got the confidence of writing short stories which were quite well accepted too by my
friends and relatives. That gave me immense faith to choose writing as my profession.
One day, I saw an advertisement of ‘Crossword’ bookstore asking young writers to take part in a
story-writing competition. About forty stories will be published as a book titled “ I want to be an
author” without thinking twice, I took part in the competition and the rest is history. Today, I am
one of those forty-one young story-tellers .
9. The writer goes in search of an invaluable indigenous variety of seeds. List three reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural practices.
Answer: The reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural
practices are:
(i) (a) Reducing environmental stress by channelling water from mountain peaks to areas of
demand and this practice has been going on for centuries.
(b) Using natural fertilizers made from cow dung, cow urine, evaporated cane juice of raw sugar
and water to save sick plants. This practice has been mentioned in the vedas.
(ii) Traditional techniques like crop rotation, erosion prevention, systematic use of composts and
manures lead to natural agricultural practices and promise better yields.
(iii) (a) Chemical fertilizers lead to degraded soil condition, deterioration in the health of quality
of crops and livestock.
(b) Organic agriculture combined with tradition, innovation and science, benefits the health of the
soil, people and the environment.Buy vitamins and supplements
10. Write a blog in about 100 to 150 words on organic farming.
Answer: Organic farming is a natural way of growing crops without using harmful chemicals.
Instead of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, farmers use compost, cow dung, green manure, and
natural methods to keep the soil healthy. It also encourages practices like crop rotation, mixed
cropping, and biological pest control, which help in protecting the crops and improving soil fertility.
This method is good for human health because the food grown organically is safe and free from
harmful chemicals. It also protects the environment by maintaining soil fertility, conserving water,
and supporting biodiversity. Though organic farming may need more care and hard work, it gives
long-term benefits.
Today, many people prefer organic food because it is healthy and eco-friendly. Organic farming is
not just a method of cultivation but a step towards sustainable living.
11.Write a short paragraph in about 120 words, to be used as Counter-View for the following topic.
‘Buy a bigger cloth for your coat’. View Section: (a) We cannot survive by the dictum ‘Cut your
cloth according to your coat’ in today’s world. (b) In the modern world we should ‘Think Big’ (c)
Think of increasing your income instead of reducing your needs. (d) We cannot deny ourselves,
what the new world offers us.
Answer: In today’s world, many people want to buy more and more things. But we must
remember that spending beyond our income can lead to problems. It is always better to live
within our means and save some money for the future. Emergencies can come at any time, and
savings help us face them without borrowing. Thinking big is good, but over-ambition can make
life stressful. We should aim high but also move step by step with patience. The saying “slow and
steady wins the race” is still true in modern life. The new world has many attractions, but wisdom
lies in choosing carefully and waiting for the right opportunity.
12. Appeal your classmate to say ‘No to Junk Food’. Write an appeal to prefer organic food over junk food.
Answer: Appeal to Say “No to Junk Food”
📢 Attention Friends!
Do you know that junk food is harming us every single day? Burgers, pizzas, chips, fries, cakes –
they taste good but act like slow poison. They may cause obesity, diabetes, liver problems and even
high blood pressure at a young age.
That’s why I request you all – Say “No” to Junk Food and “Yes” to Organic Food. Organic food
keeps us healthy, strong, and active. It is natural, safe, and full of nutrition. Remember – Healthy
organic food blesses us, but junk food messes us!
Let’s promise ourselves today: Eat fresh, eat organic, and stay fit! Because truly – Health is Wealth!
13. The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because –
Answer: The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because he suggested the use of some pesticides on the plants. The author was absolutely clear in his mind not to use any chemical which will be harmful for the soil, the plants and ultimately for human health. But for Moru Dada and his friends who were used to the conventional farming, this decision of the author was unthinkable.
14. The writer wanted to grow the traditional variety of rice because –
Answer: 1. It did not need very high variety of fertilizers
2. This variety is quite strong and is able to resist pests.
15. The write almost gave up hope of finding the desi variety of rice because –
Answer: 1. In spite of his regular visits to the villages around in search of a good desi variety, he was not successful,
2. Most of the farmers, especially the younger generation, in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids and looked down upon the ‘desi’ variety, as they called the local scented variety of rice.
16. Mention the varieties of rice from the passage, “Most of the farmers…disappeared”
Answer: Kasbai – local long-grained scented variety
Basmati – more aromatic than Kasbai
Hybrids – the latest craze of the farmers.
17. List ways in which the Government officer cooperated with the author.
Answer: 1. The agricultural officer felt that the villagers were fooling the author as they had no rice by the name ‘Kasbai’ and offered to give him some latest hybrid seeds free of cost for a trial.
2. The officer-in-charge of Adivasi Mahamandal at Kasa informed the author that he remembered buying Kasbai rice a few years ago.
3. The second gentleman definitely had more knowledge of rice which he shared with the author.
18. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statement.
a. The old woman weighed 10 kg of rice and gave it to the author.
Answer: False. The old woman did not have a weighing scale.
b. The author and his friend did not know the local dialect very well.
Answer: True
c. The people at Boripada village were well-aware of the modern way of farming.
Answer: False. The people at Boripada never heard of hybrids, fertilizers or pesticides.
d. The old woman was unhappy to get the price of the rice.
Answer: False. She was very happy and nodded her head with a smile of approval.
19. Supply Information from the passage,
1. I stood in the middle of lush green field of _______ and _______ .
2. Around me were rows of _______ and below a dense _____ .
Answer: 1. Moong (green gram), looked around me
2. Chikoo trees, foliage of moong
20. Mention any two changes that have occurred in farming of rice.
Answer: 1. Most of the farmers in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids.
2. Kasbai which is a traditional long grained rice variety with distinct aroma being a long duration crop is not preferred by the farmers.
21. Mention any two difficulties that the author faced in tracing Kasbai.
Answer: 1. The Agricultural officer didn’t know Kasbai existed. So he couldn’t help the author in procuring it.
2. He couldn’t get the seeds as farmers resorted to hybrid varieties which gave quick yield.
22. The only people who still grew Kasbai rice were –
Answer: The adivasis in a hamlet at the foothills of the mountains in the village Asarvari.
23. Each year they had to increase the quantity of urea and pesticides as –
Answer: The hybrid varieties had insatiable appetite for chemicals and fertilizers.
24. How was the old lady’s world unspoilt by progress?
Answer: The old lady, who, according to the write, represents real people of India, holding on to the biodiversity of Indian land. They have been able to do this as they have never heard of hybrids, fertilizers or pesticides.
Answer by Dimpee Bora
