Important Questions for CBSE Class 11 English Woven Chapter 7 - Bridges

A. Very Short Answer Questions: (1 Marks) 

1. Word-Meaning

i. Incredulous

ii. Demeanour

iii. Gruelling

iv. Sprawling

v. Gyrating

Ans: 

i. Disbelieving

ii. Attitude

iii. Exhausting

iv. Lie down

v. Rotate

2. In which field did the author excel?

Ans: The author was a dancer who excelled.

3. What does the author call its own comprehensions of dance?

Ans: The author referred to its own interpretations of dance as choreography.

4. Who is the author envious of?

Ans: The author is envious of dancers who claim to have been "born to dance."

5. What according to the author dance meant?

Ans: Dance, according to the author, meant to struggle. It is the same as any other discipline as a discipline is a battle in and of itself.

B. Short Answer Questions: (2 Marks) 

1. Why did the author begin to dance?

Ans: Only when she was a child did the author begin to dance. She didn't want to dance, but it was pushed on her by her loving mother and silent father, who avoided fights.

2. Why does the author say that the lesson took place under trying conditions especially for her mother?

Ans: The author adds that the instruction took place under difficult circumstances, particularly for her mother, who had to carry her to the dance classes on overcrowded trains, then wait an hour in the filthy room of the author's guru's house, and then go back to their home.

3. Where did the author first start going to the dance class?

Ans: The lesson is about the city of Bombay. Guru Sunder Prasad taught the author his first dance instruction. He lived in Chowpatty, while the author was in Khar. They had to take a train, then a bus, and then walk to the location. The entire trip took 45 minutes on either side.

4. Why did the author’s mother enroll her into a dance class?

Ans: The author's mother enrolled her in the dance class since she admired the movie industry. When the author was seven years old, they went to see a movie that inspired her, and when she got home, she began imitating the performers and dancing to the music.

5. “It was my mother who saw this innate ability in me.” What ability is the author talking about?

Ans: The author is referring to her skill to dance. She claims she didn't recognize it, but her mother did. Her mother trusted her so completely that she enrolled her in dance instruction four days a week without objection.

C. Short Answer Questions: (3 Marks)

1. Describe the early life of the author‟s family.

Ans:  The author was brought up in a volatile era. It was a time of war and India‟s independence movement was compounded by World War II in which India played a role in military operations. Her father was an engineer and was asked to build cantonment areas in Delhi, Naini, and Allahabad. They were allotted a house on Hardinge Avenue and their neighbor was Liaquat Ali who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

2. How did Liaquat Ali react when the gardener took the author and her brother to him?

Ans: Liaquat Ali was a kind man. His next-door neighbors were the novelist and his family. They used to go to his garden and pick guavas. His gardener once caught them and brought them before the master for punishment. However, Liaquat Ali reacted favorably to this and assured them that they could eat the guavas whenever they wanted. The fruits can even be picked up by the children whenever they choose.

3. What change was brought in the author‟s life at nine years old?

Ans: Because the author's father had to build cantonment zones, their position was not predetermined. They, too, had to migrate whenever it was necessary. When the author was nine years old, her parents decided she needed to go to boarding school. She was assigned to Queen Mary's College in Lahore, India, at the time.

4. How did the author feel about being sent to boarding school?

Ans: The author was pleased, enthusiastic, and concerned about being sent to boarding school. She was overjoyed that she would be meeting a lot of girls her age and attending a prestigious school. She was also relieved that he wouldn't have to attend dancing class and bear Guru ji anymore. But the author's mother was astute, and she hired a dancing teacher, Radhelal Misra, and rented him an apartment in Lahore.

5. How does the author‟s life change three weeks before the final school examinations?

Ans: The author's life was turned upside down three weeks before her final school exams when she was summoned to the Principal's office. She believed she had done something wrong. She assumed she had been summoned to the office for some offense. But then she entered the office and inquired as to what had occurred? The principal said that the author's father had called and informed him that her mother was ill and that the author was needed there.

D. Long Answer Questions: (5 Marks) 

1. How does the author feel after hearing the news of her mother?

Ans: When the author learned of her mother's death, she was at a loss for words. She was overcome with confusion when she returned from the principal's office. She was in a state she would never be able to forget. Even as an adult, she seems perplexed when working on a new piece. When the author was fourteen, she had to travel for 36 hours in three train rides to see her mother die. Her mother was lifeless and colorless, and she suddenly realized why she had been summoned home. She was stunned and lost control of her body; her chest felt heavy and her stomach ached from not eating for several days.

2. What does the author do in Duvidha or Conflict?

Ans: In Duvidha or Conflict, the author would look at the dilemma of a middle-class woman who is bound by Indian norms. These ladies are restricted to household circles and are not permitted to wear sleeveless blouses. Women are unable to tie their hair how they like. They must wear their hair in a bun and cater to her husband. She peers out a small window, and the newspaperman waving images of a woman with a bold streak of white in her short hair, wearing sleeveless shirts, and surrounded by guys who listen to her intently. The woman in the newspaper is widowed, but she can dress in bright colors. However, while the woman staring out the window is duped by this appearance, she has contradictory experiences.

3. What was Atah Kim?

Ans: As a choreographer, the author created a variety of dance forms and topics. One of her choreographies was for Atah Kim. The author was not limited to dancing; she was always looking for more of herself. She desired to be powerful and have authority over a large group of people. She had several ideas for what she wanted to do with her life, and dance was not always a top priority. She was always driven, which stemmed in part from her very quiet background. So, in Atah Kim, the author addressed this craving for dominance. But she was left with a question: what to do with it? Where does a person go after gaining power? It is an unanswerable question that must be asked.

4. What does the author decide to do at and after the age of fifteen?

Ans: When the author turned 15, she was perplexed since she had so many possibilities. She assumed it would have been simple to enroll in college and pursue a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology or English literature. And her father advised her to do something out of the usual, something distinct from the norm. As a result, the author chose to attend an agriculture college in Naini, Allahabad. She was the lone female in a class of thirty. She had to travel miles in the fields on bicycles, and the males would occasionally deflate her tyres merely to have meaningless chats with her.

5. What arguments did the author have with her grandmother?

Ans: The author and her grandma had disagreements about dress and religion. Her grandma taught her that girls should never expose their legs or push their chests out. The author would argue that she (her grandma) should not wear midriff-baring tops. Second, they would disagree about religion and temples. Her grandmother would tell her that if she went to the temple before her examinations, the god would give her the power she needed to succeed. The author was not persuaded by the notion that an outside force must be bargained with in order to achieve desirable results. This fortitude should originate from the inside. For a long time, the author did not believe that God alone endows people with special gifts.