Odd One In
Chapter 1.2 — Meanings, Comprehension & Workshop Solutions
📖 Word Meanings
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.
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 the way she spoke English and on her outward appearance. Malti pronounced English words differently, and she had oily hair, a bindi and a long skirt. Based on all this, Rima decided that she was not smart. In my opinion, Rima was foolish to judge Malti by her appearance and accent — we should know a person’s qualities and character before judging them.
(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 this because Rima’s parents defend and praise Malti whenever Rima criticises her. They feel that Rima’s attitude towards Malti is insufferable, and 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.
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.
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 or her own abilities.
snob
Ans:A snob is a person who thinks he or she is much better than others for some reason.
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:Made friends with someone.
Think and answer: Why did Rima feel no joy even though she came first in her category?
Ans:Rima disliked Malti and thought 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 at all. Therefore, she felt no joy, even though she had come first in her category.
Name the friends in Rima’s clique.
Ans:The friends in Rima’s clique were Shahnaz, Clare and Neha.
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:Perhaps when Rima urgently needed help with something — maybe when she was sick — her friends refused to help her, but Malti helped her without hesitation. Rima then realised that Malti was a very nice person, and that one should not judge people by their external appearance, but by their qualities and character. After realising her mistake, Rima and Malti probably became very good friends.
Read aloud the conversations in the story turn by turn.
Ans:Students must do this on their own, taking turns to read the different characters’ lines.
Write about Malti and Rima using the following points: Appearance, Studies, Singing, Attitude to others, Weak points.
Ans:Malti
- Appearance
- Simple, with oily hair, a 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 her 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 and tries to bully them.
- Weak points
- Her attitude towards others.
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 nice at all. 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 to give them. What has upset me are the unkind giggles and the rude behaviour of these girls. Why are they being so unkind and rude?
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.
Talk about: (a) your strengths (b) your weaknesses (c) the changes that you would like to see in yourself (3 each).
(a) Your strengths
Ans:Good adaptability, teamwork and listening skills.
(b) Your weaknesses
Ans:Not too good at public speaking, getting angry at times, and not always punctual.
(c) Changes I would like to see in myself
Ans:I would like to manage my grumpiness, start reading some good books, and eat healthier food.
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 very necessary to develop a good accent because it helps in communication. A proper accent is important for understanding others and being understood by them. I can refer to a dictionary that provides a pronunciation key, and I can also listen to news channels to hear how native speakers pronounce words. Besides, in any language, avoiding the influence of one’s mother tongue can help improve pronunciation.
List all the adverbs that end with ‘-ly’ from the passage.
Ans: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 because it is not the name of a particular person. ‘Ahmednagar’ is a proper noun because it is the name of a particular place, while ‘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? 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 or more words:
- Jog Falls
- Raigad Fort
- The Bay of Bengal
- Ideal School
- Jupiter Hospital
- The Ganga
- The Bible
- The Vedas
- Model College
- Mayo Clinic