प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class 11 English Elective (ESSAY)
7. BRIDGES - Kumudini Lakhia
MAIN POINTS
☞ 'Bridges'
is an essay written by Kumudini Lakhia.
☞ It
is an autobiographical account of the writer.
☞ She
is a renowned Kathak dancer and owns a dance center by the name of Kadamb Dance
Centre in Ahmedabad.
☞ She
has even choreographed two Hindi movies Umrao Jaan and Sur Sagar.
☞ She
has been awarded with various Sangeet Awards and the prestigious Padma Shri in
1987.
☞ The
essay 'Bridges' unfolds the story of her development from a child to a famous
Kathak dancer.
☞ Kumudini
Lakhia was never interested in any form of dance. It was forced upon her by her
mother.
☞ Her
mother took pains to see that her daughter would become a great dancer just
like the film heroines.
☞ At
the age of 9, she was sent to a boarding school named Queen Mary's College in
Lahore.
☞ Her
mother sent a dance teacher even in the hostel so that she could be proficient
in her art form.
☞ Kumudini
Lakhia lost her mother at the age of 14.
☞ After
passing her board exam, she went to pursue her career in the field of
agriculture.
☞ At
the college, she was the only girl in a class of thirty.
☞ At
the age of 18, she joined the Ram Gopal Dance Academy based in London.
☞ She
travelled to many places in India and abroad and finally settled in Bombay.
☞ Her
family consisted of husband, son -Shriraj and daughter Maitreyi.
☞ The
author believes that you are no longer performing solo, you have a family of
different behaviours under one roof. She added that one belongs to a larger
image and must develop a new set of performing skills.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1. Who wrote the essay 'Bridges'?
a.
Arundhati Roy
b. Kumudini Lakhia
c.
Shashi Tharoor
d.
Chetan Bhaga
2. When was Kumudini Lakhia born?
a. 1930
b.
1931
c.
1932
d.
1934
3. What was Kumudini Lakhia?
a.
Doctor
b.
Engineer
c. Dancer
d.
Painter
4. Kumudini Lakhia was a renowned ------ dancer
a. Kathak
b.
Bharatanatyam
c.
Odissi
d.
Kuchipudi
5. In how many countries has Kumudini Lakhia performed as a
dancer?
a.
In over 10 countries
b.
In over 20 countries
c.
In over 30 countries
d. In over 40 countries
6. What is the name of Kumudini Lakhia's dance center?
a. Kadamb Dance Centre
b.
Kanha Dance Centre
c.
Radha Dance Centre
d.
Meera Dance Centre
7. In which movie(s) did Kumudini Lakhia do the choreography?
a. Umrao Jaan and Sur Sangam
b.
Umrao Jaan
c.
Sur Sangam
d.
None of the above
8. When was Kumudini Lakhia awarded the Padma Shri award?
a. 1987
b.
1988
c.
1999
d.
2000
9. What did the writer never want to do as a child?
a. Dance
b.
Sing
c.
Play
d.
Paint
10. Who forced the writer to dance?
a.
Brother
b.
Sister
c.
Uncle
d. Mother
11. Who was the first dance teacher of the writer?
a. Guru Sunder Prasad
b.
Guru Shyam Prasad
c.
Guru Mohan Prasad
d.
None of the above
12. Which industry did spur the writer's mother to enroll her in
dance class?
a. The film industry
b.
The dance industry
c.
The music industry
d.
None of the above
13. "Kumudini, you are born to dance." Who said this
to the writer?
a. Kumudini's mother
b.
Kumudini's father
c.
Kumudini's sister
d.
Kumudini's brother
14. What was the writer's father?
a
Singer
b.
Dancer
c. Engineer
d.
Painter
15. Who was Liaquat Ali?
a. The writer's neighbour
b.
The writer's uncle
c.
The writer's father
d.
None of the above
16. Who was Suresh?
a.
The writer's uncle
b.
The writer's father
c. The writer's brother
d.
The writer's neighbour
17. How old was the writer when she was sent to Queen Mary's
school in Lahore?
a. 9 years old
b.
10 years old
c.
11 years old
d.
12 years old
18. Who was Radhelal Misra?
a.
The writer's Math teacher
b.
The writer's English teacher
c.
The writer's Science teacher
d. The writer's Dance teache
19. What did the writer learn in her school?
a. Discipline
b.
Obedience
c.
Punctuality
d.
None of the above
20. Who was Miss Cox?
a.
The writer's mother
b.
The writer's aunt
c.
The writer's sister
d. The writer's principal
21. How old was the writer when her mother passed away?
a. 14 years
b.
15 years
c.
16 years
d.
17 years
22. Which is/are work(s) of Kumudini Lakhia?
a.
Duvidha
b.
Atah Kim
c.
Panch Paras
d. All of the above
23. "You have to do something that is off-beat, different
from the done thing." who said this to the writer?
a. The writer's father
b.
The writer's uncle
c.
The writer's brother
d.
The writer's neighbour
24. From whom did the writer learn Bharatanatyam?
a. Ram Gopal
b.
Shyam Gopal\
c.
Hari Gopal
d.
None of the above
25. Who are Shriraj and Maitreyi?
a. The writer's son and daughter
b.
The writer's nephew and niece
c.
The writer's uncle and aunt
d.
None of the above
26. What was the name of the boarding school of the author 's
brother?
a.
St. Florence High School
b.
Queen Mary's College
c. Sherwood College
d.
Bishop School
27. Dance form …..... shows the plight of a middle class woman.
a.
Atah kim
b. Duvidha
c.
Kathak
d.
Ghumar
28. The writer holds a bachelor degree in which subject?.
a. Agriculture
b.
Psychology
c.
Home Science
d.
Economics
29. Who was Komlata Dutt ?
a.
Her aunt
b.
Mother
c.
Daughter
d. Her Father's friend
30. Where did the writer finally settle with her family?
a.
Lahore
b.
Delhi
c. Bombay
d.
Ahmedabad
VERY SHORT QUESTIONS
1. By whom was the author compelled to learn dance?
Ans.
The author was compelled to learn dance by her mother.
2. Which means of travel did the author's mother use to attend
dance class?
Ans.
The author's mother travelled by bus and local trains to attend dance class.
3. With whom was the author's first dance performance?
Ans.
The author's first dance performance was with Guru Sunder Prasad.
4. Which place was the author sent to study?And what did she
think of when she was there?
Ans.
The author was sent to study in Queen's Mary College in Lahore. She thought
that she would not have to dance any more.
5. What was the reaction of the author when she reached her
mother's funeral?
Ans.
When the author reached her mother's funeral, she was extremely hungry and sad.
6. In which college did the writer's brother go to study?
Ans.
The writer's college, Nainital. brother went to Sherwood
7. Why was the author jealous of other girls?
Ans.
The author was jealous of other girls because they played tennis and basketball
whereas she had to learn Kathak because of her mother.
8. What was the name of Kumudini Lakhia's husband?
Ans.
Kumudini Lakhia's husband was Rajnikant.
9. What did Komlata Dutta insist the author?
Ans.
Komlata Dutt insisted that the author should join the Ram Gopal Dance Company.
10. What was the quality of Ram Gopal that attracted Kumidini
Lakhia?
Ans.
Ram Gopal was a strict disciplinarian and a perfectionist.
SHORT QUESTIONS
1. Why did the author start to dance?
Ans.
The author had least interest in dance.It was her mother who forced her to take
lessons of dance and her peace loving father did not interfere. The author's
mother was fascinated by the film Industry which spurred her to enroll in dance
classes.
2. Kumudini was admitted to a boarding school in Lahore.Did this
help her to get rid off from dance?
Ans.
Kumudini was admitted to the Queen's Mary College in Lahore. This was the first
time she was staying away from home. She was happy that she would be staying
with girls of her own age group and she would not have to dance anymore. But
all her hopes were blown to air when her mother sent a dance Guru to her.
3. What kind of family life does Kumudini Lakhia had?
Ans.
Kumudini Lakhia had a very supportive husband. He was a lawyer by profession.
His name was Rajnikant. The author terms him as 'a good man'. Unlike other men,
he was not suspicious of anything. He was the one who instilled the love for
music in her.
4. When was the writer's first encounter with politics?
Ans.
During her stay in Delhi, the writer was caught while picking guavas from her
neighborhood. She was presented before the master Liaquat Ali, the owner of the
garden who later on became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The master allowed
her in the garden to pick guavas but the gardener later forbade her to enter.
5. What spurred the author's mother to enroll her in dance
class?
Ans.
The author's mother was fascinated by the film industry. When the author was
seven, she along with her family went to see a movie and was captivated by a
dance number of the heroine. After returning home, she pranced around her home
imitating the dance moves. This made her mother believe that she was a born
dancer.
LONG QUESTIONS
1. What were the new things that the author came to know about
her own personality when she toured with Ram Gopal ?
Ans.
Ram Gopal was the owner of a dance company based in London. The author learned
many new things about herself. She toured in various parts of the country, met
different kinds of people with vivid perceptions. She came to know that her
weaknesses were brought glaringly into focus. She also realized that with the
change of place its context also changes. She depicts this by showing an
example of hungry children begging for food. She shows that this scenario is a
common sight in India but the same sight in Germany created a different
sensation. The author asserts that she was a changed person when placed in
different surroundings.
2. What is Bridges by Kumudini Lakhia all about ?
Ans.
Bridges by Kumudini Lakhia is an autobiographical account of her evolving from
a non dancer to a renowned Kathak maestro. As a child, she was least interested
in learning dance. She was compelled to do so because of her mother. As the
story unfolds, it is learned that she has a wide range of experiences and
lessons from life which is reflected in her dance. In Duvidha she examines the
plight of a middle class woman chained to Indian traditions. Atah Kim expresses
the desire for power and Panch Paras is about exploration of spiritual life.
3. How did the author feel about her mother's passion to make
her a dancer?
Ans. The author was unwilling to become a dancer when she was a child. She believed that she was not born to dance. It was her mother who persuaded her to learn dance. Her mother would take her to a dance teacher travelling by bus and train. She used to sit and wait till the author's lessons were complete for the day. When the author was admitted to a boarding school in Lahore she thought that she had got rid of her dance classes but all her hopes were shattered when her mother sent a dance Guru to her.
English Elective (CONTENTS)
WOVEN WORDS | ||
CH. NO. | NAME OF CHAPTERS | AUTHOR |
PROSE | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
4. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
POETRY | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
4. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
7. | ||
8. | ||
ESSAY | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
7. | ||
DRAMA | ||
1. | ||
NOVEL | ||
1. | ||
