CBSE Class 10 English Bholi HOTS

I. “Pitaji! Take back your money. I am not going to marry this man.”
Ramlal was thunderstruck. The guests began to whisper, “So shameless! So ugly and so shameless!”
“Bholi, are you crazy?” shouted Ramlal. “You want to disgrace your family? Have some regard for our izzat!”
“For the sake of your izzat,” said Bholi, “I was willing to marry this lame old man. But I will not have such a mean, greedy and contemptible coward as my husband. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t.”
“What a shameless girl! We all thought she was a harmless dumb cow.”
Bholi turned violently on the old woman, “Yes, Aunty, you are right. You all thought I was a dumb–driven cow. That’s why you wanted to hand me over to this heartless creature. But now the dumb cow, the stammering fool, is speaking. Do you want to hear more?”

Question. When Bholi declared , “……….. I am not going to marry this man.” Her decision portrays her as______ girl.
(a) rude and shameless
(b) bold and assertive
(c) tongue-tied and mild
(d) sharp and sarcastic
Answer. B

Question. Choose the statements which are true according to the given extract:
1. Bholi had become self-reliant and was able to take decisions at the end of the story.
2. Bholi’s parents considered Bishambhar as an unworthy bridegroom.
3. Bishambhar had demanded extra money from her father.
4. Bholi refused to marry Bishambhar and she demanded money from him.
5. Bholi know that Bishabhar was a greedy man of ill-intent.
6. Villagers appreciated Bholi’s step of refusing to marry Bishambhar.
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 2, 4 and 6
(c) 4, 5 and 6
(d) 1, 3 and 5
Answer. D

Question. Bholi had refused to get married because:
(a) her father couldn’t afford the dowry that was demanded.
(b) the bridegroom had been greedy.
(c) the bridegroom had insulted her father.
(d) her father was getting her married to a man older to her.
Answer. C

Question. From the options given below, identify villagers’ character traits in the extract.
1. orthodox
2. helpful
3. understanding
4. conservative
5. gossip monger
(a) 1, 4 and 5
(b) 2, 3, and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 5
(d) 3, 4 and 5
Answer. A

Question. Which word does ‘contemptible’ not correspond to?
(a) worthless
(b) shameful
(c) praiseworthy
(d) despicable
Answer. C

2. “What’s the matter with you, you fool?” shouted Ramlal. “I am only taking you to school.” Then he told his wife, “Let her wear some decent clothes today, or else what will the teachers and the other school girls think of us when they see her?”
New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her.
"What's the matter with you, you fool?" shouted Ramlal. "I am only taking you to school." Then he told his wife, "Let her wear some decent clothes today, or else what will the teachers and the other school girls think of us when they see her?"
New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her clothes. But today she was lucky to receive a clean dress which had shrunk after many washings and no longer fitted Champa.

Question. What did Ramlal ask his wife to do?
(i) To drop Bholi to school
(ii) To get Bholi ready into some decent clothes
(iii) To get Bholi a bath
(iv) To buy new books for Bholi
Answer. B

Question. Choose the option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Ramlal shouted on Champa.
2. Ramlal asked his wife to drop Bholi tom school.
3. Ramlal asked his wife to get Bholi a bath.
4. Ramlal asked his wife to let Bholi wear some decent clothes.
5. Ramlal wanted Bholi to get ready for school.
6. Bholi never got new clothes to wear.
7. Bholi got a clean dress which did not fit Champa.
(i) 2, 3, 4
(ii) 1, 2, 3
(iii) 5, 6, 7
(iv) 1, 4, 5
Answer. B

Question. Pick the option that correctly classifies fact/s (F) and myths (M) about the narrator.
1. Bholi was scared of school.
2. Bholi belonged to a poor family.
3. Bholi belonged to a rich family.
4. Bholi was happy to go to school.
(i) F – 1, 2 and M – 3, 4
(ii) F – 3, 4 and M – 1, 2
(iii) F – 1, 3 and M – 2, 4
(iv) F – 1, 4 and M – 2, 3
Answer. A

Question. What word from the following mean same as ‘decent’?
(i) Suitable
(ii) Fancy
(iii) Faded
(iv) Cheap
Answer. A

Question. ________ is the synonym of ‘shouted’.
(i) Yelled
(ii) Sighed
(iii) Muttered
(iv) Hissed
Answer. A

2. Bishamber Nath was a well-to-do grocer. He came with a big party of friends and relations with him for the wedding. A brass-band playing a popular tune from an Indian film headed the procession, with the bridegroom riding a decorated horse. Ramlal was overjoyed to see such pomp and splendour. He had never dreamt that his fourth daughter would have such a grand wedding. Bholi’s elder sisters who had come for the occasion were envious of her luck.

Question. What was Ramlal’s reaction to the wedding decor?
(i) He was delighted
(ii) He felt unhappy
(iii) He was serious
(iv) He felt jealous
Answer. A

Question. Bholi’s elder sisters were envious of her luck and_____________.
(i) Had not expected it
(ii) Left the grand wedding
(iii) Complaint to their father
(iv) Tried to disrupt her ceremony
Answer. A

Question. What impression did Ramlal have in his mind about his daughter Bholi?
(i) He felt proud of her.
(ii) He had not expected a grand wedding for her.
(iii) He felt sorry for her.
(iv) He liked his other children more than her.
Answer. B

Question. What means the same as the word ‘procession’?
(i) Crowd
(ii) Troupe
(iii) Mob
(iv) Parade
Answer. D

Question. The synonym of ‘splendour’ is:
(i) Modesty
(ii) Humility
(iii) Magnificence
(iv) None of the above
Answer. C

3. But Ramlal had not the courage to disobey the Tehsildar. At last his wife said, “I will tell you what to do. Send Bholi to school. As it is, there is little chance of her getting married, with her ugly face and lack of sense. Let the teachers at school worry about her.”

Question. Why was the mother so contemptuous towards Bholi?
Answer. The mother was full of contempt for her daughter because in her eyes Bholi was a liability due to her pock-marked appearance and difficulty in speech.

Question. What had happened to Bholi as a child?
Answer. Bholi had unfortunately fallen from her crib which had affected her development. Furthermore, she had developed problems with her speech. But no one had ever done anything to help her.

4. New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her clothes. But today she was lucky to receive a clean dress which had shrunk after many washings and no longer fitted Champa. She was even bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. Only then did she begin to believe that she was being taken to a place better than her home!

Question. What do you discern from this passage about the treatment meted out to Bholi at her home?
Answer. We can understand that Bholi had been treated very badly in her home. And she did not know what parents’ love was. She had been subjected to cruelty at the hands of her family because of her appearance which was not her fault.

Question. Who was Champa? How did she have a different life than Bholi’s?
Answer. Champa was Bholi’s sister. She and her other siblings had received everything, love, affection and acceptance.

5. Bholi felt as if suddenly all the bells in the village temple were ringing and the trees in front of the school-house had blossomed into big red flowers. Her heart was throbbing with a new hope and a new life.

Question. How did Bholi get her name?
Answer. Bholi was so named because she had fallen on her head when she was a mere baby. And it had adversely affected her overall development. So people had cruelly named her Bholi which means a simpleton.

Question. Why did she suddenly feel so happy?
Answer. She felt elated at being addressed so lovingly by an adult. Her teacher had treated her with kindness and humanity. And she realised that getting an education might change her life.

6. The teacher had all along stood in a corner, watching the drama. “Yes, Bholi, of course,” she replied. And in her smiling eyes was the light of a deep satisfaction that an artist feels when contemplating the completion of her masterpiece.

Question. What had Bholi stood up against?
Answer. Bholi had refused to marry the man her father had chosen for her. She was enraged at the dowry being demanded just because she looked a certain way.

Question. Why was the teacher so satisfied?
Answer. The teacher was satisfied because she was finally able to see the effect of the education she had given Bholi. Bholi was now a strong and selfdependent woman who was brave to face the world.

Question. Who was Lakshmi?
(a) Bholi’s friend
(b) Bholi’s classmate
(c) Bholi’s sister
(d) Bholi’s cow
Answer. D

Question. What was the purpose of the Tehsildar’s village visit?
(a) To inaugurate a girl’s school
(b) To address complaints of the village
(c) To meet the people of the village
(d) None of the above
Answer. A

Question. What was Bholi’s first reaction on hearing that she was going to school?
(a) She cried with tears of joy
(b) She cried with fear
(c) She screamed
(d) She was excited
Answer. B

Question. Why did the girls laugh at Bholi?
(a) At her dress
(b) At her looks
(c) At her stammering
(d) All of these
Answer. C

Question. Why did Bholi talk very little in school?
(a) She stammered
(b) Other kids mimicked her and made fun of her
(c) She was an introvert
(d) None of these
Answer. B

Question. Whose paintings did she see in the classroom wall?
(a) Cow
(b) Goat
(c) Parrot
(d) All of these
Answer. D

Question. Why was Sulekha called Bholi by every one?
Answer. When she was ten months old, Bholi had fallen off the cot on her head and perhaps it had damaged some part of her brain. That was why she remained a dull child and came to be known as Bholi, the simpleton.

Question. Why did other children make fun of Bholi and mimic her?
Answer. Bholi’s entire body was permanently disfigured by deep black pockmarks. Little Bholi could not speak till she was five and when at last she learnt to speak, she stammered. This is why other children often made fun of her and mimicked her.

Question. Why do the teacher’s eyes depict satisfaction when Bholi rejects the marriage?
Answer. The teacher has taught Bholi to be confident and has educated her. She feels satisfied that her education has given Bholi the strength to defy the social pressures and decide to lead her life on her own terms.

Question. What filled Bholi, a dumb cow, with a new hope?
Answer. As a child, Bholi was always shunned and ignored because of her looks. She faced a tough childhood and was extremely anxious and timid. Bholi’s teacher’s soft and soothing voice coupled with her encouraging words filled Bholi with new hope. The teacher’s faith in Bholi helped her grow.

Question. Why did the Tehsildar come to Ramlal’s village?What did he ask Ramlal to do?
Answer. The Tehsildar came to Ramlal’s village. He was to perform an opening ceremony of the new school there. He asked Ramlal to send his daughters to school. It was to set an example for the villagers. They would send their sons and daughters to school.

Question. Did she enjoy her first day in school? What made her happy on this very day? What incident touched her heart?
Answer. Bholi did not enjoy her first day in school. She cried a lot. She stammered and she did not have the courage to go back home. So, she kept sobbing. The teacher’s soothing voice touched her heart. She had never been talked to like that earlier.

Question. Why did Bholi feel disheartened on her first day at school?
Answer. Bholi felt disheartened at school on her first day. It was because she could not speak her name properly. She stammered. So, she felt that the girls were laughing at her. So she felt disheartened. She didn’t like school.

Question. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Answer. Bholi is neither intelligent nor pretty. She also stammers.
All this means that no one would be ready to marry her. This is why Bholi’s father is worried about her.

Question. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Answer. When a new girls’ primary school is opened in the village, the tehsildar asks Ramlal to send his daughters and set an example. So, despite having the view that education makes girls unsuitable for marriage, Bholi’s parents sent her to school. They think that with her lack of looks and intelligence, nobody would marry her.

Question. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Answer. When Bholi enters school, she is very nervous but by the end of the day the teacher’s encouraging attitude helps her to like school and enjoy her first day at school.

Question. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Answer. Bholi was always being made fun of by the people at home. They called her a ‘dumb cow’. Bholi hardly ever spoke to anyone as she stammered. However, her teacher was different.She encouraged Bholi to speak and did not make fun of her. She was very kind to her.

Question. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Answer. Bholi’s lack of looks and intelligence and her stammering meant that no one would marry her. So Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s proposal, even though, he was too old for her, had grown up children and was limped.

Question. Why does the marriage not take place?
Answer. The groom, on seeing the bride’s pock-marked face,refuses to marry her unless the father of the bride gives him five thousand rupees. Even though the father was ready to give the money, the bride refuses to marry an old greedy man and the marriage does not take place.

Question. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Answer. Bholi had no idea what a school would be like. She thought it was a bad place. However, when she had a bath,dressed in fresh clothes, got her hair oiled and braided then she started thinking that maybe she was being taken to a place better than home.

Question. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Answer. Bholi’s teacher was very encouraging. Instead of making fun of her or scolding her like the people at home, the teacher listened to her patiently, taught her to read and write and above all, gave her the self confidence that made her a strong person.This confidence helped Bholi in rejecting the marriage to an old greedy man. She decided to stand on her own feet. Thus, the teacher played an important role in changing Bholi’s life.

Question. What do you know about Bishamber Nath? Why did Bholi refuse to marry him? 
Answer. Bishamber was a middle-aged man. He was nearly as old as Bholi’s father. He limped while walking. He also had children from his first wife. He had a big house and a shop and also a lot of money in the bank. He agreed to marry Bholi without demanding dowry. But when he came to marry her on the day of wedding, he asked for 5000 to marry Bholi after seeing the pock scars on her face. Bholi’s father Ramlal begged him to not demand for dowry but Bishamber stuck to his demand. Ramlal placed his turban at his feet but Bishamber was not moved. At last, Ramlal went in and opened his locker and came out with 5000 and placed the money at Bishamber’s feet.But Bholi refused to marry such a mean and greedy person and decided to remain unmarried to take care of her parents.

Question. Education is the passport to a better life. Discuss on the basis of the story ‘Bholi’.
Answer. Bholi is the neglected, ostracized child of a family in a village. She lacks looks and intelligence and hence, is often made fun of and called a ‘dumb cow’. Then she gets the opportunity to attend school and learns to read and write. She is educated and this increases her self confidence and makes her a stronger person. She is an example of how education changes the way one thinks and how then one has the confidence to fight against the social barriers in order to lead a happier life. Education helps one recognize his rights and duties. Understanding one’s duties makes, one responsible, while the knowledge of one’s rights equips a person with courage and confidence. Education, for Bholi, has been the passport to a better life.

Question. Read the following quote by an American author, E. E. Hale.
“I am only one but, I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I do.”
Bholi’s evolution from a ‘dumb cow’ to a ‘masterpiece’ supports the given quote. Justify.
Answer. Bholi’s evolution from a child who could not speak properly to a self-confident young woman who could write her own destiny was astonishing. People’s perception of her was that of someone less than a human due to her lack of sense and stammering which kept her quiet and encouraged a submissive demeanour. But going to school changed her life. The guidance of the teacher and education helped her overcome stammering and instilled confidence and a sense of self-esteem in Bholi. She refused to succumb to the greedy demands of the prospective groom and spoke out.
This journey of Bholi’s growth clearly showcases the idea of being an individual and not being exploited by people or circumstances. Instead, she evolves to become a person by being proactive and decides to contribute to the wellbeing of others around her.

Question. School education turned Bholi from a dumb cow into a bold girl. How did she save her father from a huge expense and become his support in his old age?
Answer. Bholi, despite her pet name, slowly gained her confidence and a good education with the help of her teacher. She understood how society worked and was brave enough to stand up against the evils present in the society. She saved her father from huge expenses and became his support in his old age by refusing to marry Bishambar who was an old and lame man. She also refused to pay the dowry of five thousand rupees. She stood up with courage and acted boldly in spite of being aware that she might not get married for the rest of her life. Bholi decided to serve her parents in their old age and work in the same school in which she studied.

Question. Education is always a great asset in the life of a woman. How did Bholi, an educated girl, face the challenge posed by Bishambar’s greed?
Answer. Education is always a great asset especially in the life of a woman. Education brings about a change in the quality of the life of a woman. Education also helps change the outlook of a woman, the way she perceives things and how she responds to situations. Bholi was a simple girl. She had pockmarks on her face as a result of which, she was shunned for her looks. Her parents as well as the villagers neglected her. She was sent to school where she received great encouragement from her teacher. Despite her education, she did not get any marriage prospects mainly due to her looks. Bishambar, her prospective husband, was a lame, old man who was greedy for Bholi’s money. Bholi, however, took a bold step and rejected Bishambar’s marriage proposal. She promised to serve her parents in their old age and went back to teach in the school where she had studied.

Question. “Don’t you worry, Pitaji ! In your old age I will serve you and mother.” Through this statement the narrator wants to highlight the moral values Bholi was imbued with. Based on the reading of the lesson,what made Bholi aware of her rights and how did she use them?
Answer. Bholi, as a child, was mostly ignored and made fun of. Her peers made fun of her looks while her parents gave up on her, finding a good groom to get here married. In the end, they found a greedy and an old-widowed man for her. Bholi, despite the treatment meted out by her parents, displayed utmost respect and concern for them. She showed love and affection towards her parents and rarely disobeyed their words. This attitude is noticed when despite knowing the attitude of her to-be-husband, she willingly agreed to get married to him for the sake of her parents.
Bholi, while being submissive, was also a determined and confident girl who gained her self-respect through her education. Her teacher during the course of Bholi’s education, made her aware of selfesteem rights. She wasn’t ready to demean herself so she stood up confidently against the proposal of the greedy man and told her parents that she would take care of them life long, instead of getting married.

Question. What social attitudes are presented in the story,‘Bholi’? How does her teacher help her overcome these barriers?
Answer. Bholi stammered so, everyone used to laugh and make fun of her in the beginning. Then when she started attending school, she was afraid to even look up in the class as she was just a bundle of nerves. Her teacher treated her kindly and affectionately. She encouraged her to have confidence in herself and to be bold, confirming that she would be able to break the barrier of stammering and be like the other girls. The teacher taught her to read and write and made her an independent girl who was aware of her rights. This changed her life.

Question. Bholi was believed to be a ‘dumb cow’. What turned her into a fearless, bold and confident girl? 
Answer. After Bholi receives education, she becomes fearless and bold. Education brings these changes in her. Earlier she was a simpleton who would stammer, look ugly and wear shabby dresses. She was not able to keep her opinion in front of everyone and was thus, subdued and made fun of by everyone. This is why she was called a dumb cow. Later, after she received her education, she becomes wise and confident. She is able to talk and communicate her opinion in front of a number of people. Above everything, she is able to think for herself and refuse the groom her father had suggested for her. This completes her transformation from a dumb cow to a confident girl.

Question. The teacher plays an important role in changing the course of a person’s life especially that of a young woman. What role did Bholi’s teacher play in bringing about a change in her life?
Answer. Bholi was a quiet girl with low morale and no selfconfidence. She lacked knowledge and stammered even when she spoke her name. Her admission to the school brought a number of visible changes in her. Her teacher played the most important role in changing the course of her life in this process. The teacher was polite, friendly and understood Bholi’s situation. She encouraged her every time and was very affectionate towards her. She assured Bholi that she had faith in her, and through love, concern and correct guidance, changed her into a person who was confident enough to speak, read and write so much so she refused to marry the elderly groom forced upon her by her father. Her appreciation and encouragement helped Bholi change into a stronger person inside out.

Question. For what unusual reason is Bholi sent to school?
Answer. The Tehsildar sahib had advised Ramlal to send his daughters to school to maintain a good, progressive image being a representative of the government. Ramlal’s wife denies to send any of her girls to school as she thinks no one would marry them if they got educated. Bholi was sent to school because her parents thought that there is a little or no chance of someone marrying her because of her ugly face and her lack of sense, so providing her education won’t make much a difference.