Chapter 1.2 - Odd One In
recounted : told
atrocious : Here, it means of very poor quality
snidely : in a nasty manner
jeer : make rude remarks in a loud voice.
clique : a small group of friends who do not allow others to join them.
roundly : Here, it means ‘in an emphatic manner.’
In between the Chapter
Q1. Discuss the meaning in the context of the story.
settling in
Ans: moving to a new place and becoming comfortable there.
sniffed
Ans: spoke without interest or respect.
insufferable
Ans: extremely annoying and unpleasant, more than one can tolerate.
Q2. Discuss :
(i) How did Rima decide whether or not Malti was smart? What is your opinion?
Ans: Rima decided whether or not Malti was smart based on her way of speaking English and her outward appearance. Malu pronounced English words in a different way. She also had oily hair, a bindi, and a long skirt. From all this, Rima decided that she was not smart. I think that Rima was foolish to judge Malti by her external appearance and way of speaking. We should know a person’s qualities and character before judging.
(ii) Do Rima and her parents share the same attitude? How do we know that?
Ans: No. Rima and her parents do not share the same attitude. We know that because Rima’s parents defend and praise Malti when Rima criticizes her. They think that Rima is insufferable in her attitude towards Malti. They hope that Rima and her friends will not make things difficult for Malti. They also discuss her attitude between themselves and fear that she is turning into a little snob.
Q3. Guess what Malti was about to say when Teacher entered.
Ans: Malti was probably about to tell Rima and her friends not to be so rude and unkind to her.
Q4. Discuss the difference in the meaning of the following words :
smart
Ans: A person who is smart is intelligent, well-dressed or quick.
confident
Ans: A person who is confident is certain of his/her abilities.
snob
Ans: A snob is a person who thinks he/she is much better than others for some reason.
Q5. Guess the meaning of :
forte
Ans: a thing that someone does particularly well.
belied
Ans: gave a false impression of something or somebody.
befriended
Ans: to make friends.
Q6. Think and answer :
Why did Rima feel no joy even though she came first in her category?
Ans: Rima disliked Malti and thought that she would be able to make fun of her singing However, during the competition, Malti sang so beautifully and had such a melodious voice that the Principal, teachers, and students all clapped heartily. Rima, who was a snob and looked down on Malti, did not like this one bit. Therefore, she felt no joy, even though she came first in her category.
Q7. Name the friends in Rima’s clique.
Ans: The friends in Rima’s clique were Shahnaz, Clare and Neha.
Q8. This is an extract from the story ‘Odd One In’. Can you imagine what happened next in this story of Rima and Malti? Try to complete the story on your own or by discussing it with your friends.
Ans: Probably when Rima urgently needed help in something, maybe when she was sick, her friends refused to help her, but Malti helped her. Thus, she realized that Malti was a very nice person, and that one should not go by external appearances. One should look at the qualities and character of a person. After realizing her mistakes, Rima and Malti probably became very good friends.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Read aloud the conversations in the story turn by turn.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
2. Write about Malti and Rima using the following points :
Malti
Appearance:
Simple, with oily hair, bindi and long skirts.
Studies:
Good in most subjects; excellent in Maths but weak in English.
Singing:
Has a well-trained and melodious voice; sings beautifully.
Attitude to others:
Helpful and respectful; cheerful and friendly.
Weak points:
The English language.
Rima
Appearance:
Stylish, with hair left open and without any oil; no bindi; short skirts.
Studies:
Average in studies; good in English.
Singing:
Sings well.
Attitude to others:
Rude, catty and snobbish. Pokes fun at others. Tries to bully others.
Weak points:
Her attitude towards others.
3. Imagine you are Malti. Write about any one event in the story from Malti’s point of view.
Ans: Today was my second day at my new school. Yesterday, I thought that the girls were very smart and nice. However, the way they behaved today showed me that they are not at all nice. One of them—I think her name is Shahnaz—asked me why I put so much oil in my hair, while another very unkindly asked me why my skirt was so long. I don’t mind being asked such questions, for I have a proper reply for them. What has upset me are the unkind giggles and the rude behaviour of these girls. Why are they being so unkind and rude?
4. How do you behave with your classmates? Write about your attitude and behaviour in the appropriate column.
(Some actions : • Ask others for help • Refuse help • Judge others by their appearance • Judge others by their accent)
Ans:
Always:
I help others.
I share my tiffin with my friends.
I always respect others.
Sometimes:
I am sometimes grumpy towards my friends.
I enquire about the health of a sick classmate.
I sometimes visit NGOs to volunteer.
Never:
I am never judgemental.
I never use harsh words.
I never misbehave in class.
5. Talk about :
(a) your strengths
Ans: Good adaptability, teamwork, and listening skills.
(b) your weaknesses
Ans: Not too good at public speaking, angry at times, not so punctual.
(c) the changes that you would like to see in yourself (3 each).
Ans: I would like to manage my grumpiness, start reading some good books, and eat healthy food.
6. Discuss :
Is it necessary to develop a good accent? Why? What efforts can you take to improve your pronunciation? With your teacher’s help, find out how to use online dictionaries for the purpose.
Ans: Yes, it is extremely necessary to develop a good accent because it aids in communication. A proper accent is important for understanding and being understood. I can refer to a dictionary that provides a pronunciation key. I can also listen to news channels that help us speak English the way the natives do. Besides, no matter what the language, avoiding the influence of the mother tongue can help improve pronunciation.
7. List all the adverbs that end with ‘-ly’ from the passage.
Ans: specially, quietly, rudely, cattily, correctly, uncharitably, sharply, sadly, snidely, beautifully. abundantly, slowly, readily, cheerfully, stubbornly, particularly, mercilessly, roundly, badly.
8. Language Study: Types of nouns:
You know that a noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing. The names given to particular persons, places, animals etc. are proper nouns and the rest are common nouns.
For example, ‘Ria’ is a proper noun, because it is the name of a particular person. But, ‘girl’ is a common noun, as it is not the name of a particular person. ‘Ahmednagar’ is a proper noun, because it is the name of a particular place. ‘Town’ is a common noun, because it is not the name of a particular place.
Write at least 5 common nouns and 5 proper nouns each. Proper nouns are always written with a capital letter at the beginning. Can you think of proper nouns that include two or more words? How are they written? Find at least ten such nouns.
Examples :
Seva Hospital, The Times of India.
Ans:
Common nouns:
book, man, tree, window, cupboard.
Proper nouns:
France, Nagpur, Sheetal, Godavari River.
Proper nouns that include two words:
(i) Jog Falls
(ii) Raigad Fort
(iii) the Bay of Bengal
(iv) Ideal School
(v) Jupiter Hospital
(vi) the Ganga
(vii) the Bible
(viii) the Vedas
(ix) Model College
(x) Mayo Clinic