Section – B
B.1.
- Narain Karthikeyan
- P. T. Usha
- Sunil Gavaskar
- Vishwanathan Anand
B.3. On the basis of your reading, complete the following table with information about Sunil Gavaskar.
Detail | Answer |
Gavaskar’s Full Name | Sunil Gavaskar |
Profession | Cricketer |
Birthday | July 10, 1949 |
Gavaskar’s Uncle’s Name | Mr. Narayan Masuvekar (Nan-kaka) |
B.4. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements.
(i) Sunil Gavaskar would probably have been a fisherman if Nan-kaka had not visited the hospital.
→ True (T)
(ii) Sunil has a hole in his right ear-lobe.
→ False (F) (It was in his left ear-lobe.)
(iii) The babies got exchanged while they were being given a bath.
→ True (T)
(iv) Sunil was located sleeping beside his mother.
→ False (F) (He was found sleeping beside a fisherwoman.)
B.5. Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) find out about something – discover
(ii) disturbance or fuss – commotion
(iii) wildly excited – frantic
(iv) lacking knowledge – ignorant
B.6. Now fill in the blanks with an appropriate form of the word from the listed ones in B.5.
(i) The mother made a frantic search for her lost baby in the market.
(ii) The accident caused a commotion in the market.
(iii) Mr Sharma’s dog was ignorantly sleeping behind the big tree.
(iv) Mr Verma is discovering of his son’s report.
B.7. Read the following extract and answer the questions given.
“I am grateful to my uncle for noticing the hole, for I have often wondered what would have happened if nature had not ‘marked’ me out.”
(i) Who is ‘I’ in the above line?
Answer – Sunil Gavaskar
(ii) Why is the speaker grateful to his uncle?
Answer – Because his uncle noticed the hole in his left ear-lobe and saved him from being brought up by the wrong family.
(iii) What does the expression ‘nature marked me out’ mean?
Answer – It means nature gave him a special identifying mark (the hole in his ear) that helped others recognise him.
B.8. Answer the following questions.
(i) What did Mr Narayan Masuvekar notice on his first visit to hospital?
Answer – He noticed a small hole near the top of Sunil’s left ear-lobe.
(ii) Why was Mr Narayan Masuvekar horrified on his second visit to the hospital?
Answer – Because the baby lying next to Sunil’s mother did not have the hole, meaning the babies had been exchanged.
(iii) Where was the baby found?
Answer – He was found sleeping beside a fisherwoman.
(iv) What would have happened if Nan-kaka had not visited the hospital again on second day?
Answer – Sunil Gavaskar would have grown up in the wrong family and might never have become a cricketer.
(v) When did the newborn babies get mixed up?
Answer – After they were given a bath.
B.9. Life Skills
Gavaskar was reunited with his family only because of the sharp observation skills of his uncle. Discuss in the class how the simple power of observation is an absolutely essential skill for life.
Topic: Observation Skills are Life-Saving!
You can talk about:
- How Nan-kaka’s observation saved Sunil’s future.
- Observation helps in daily life (e.g., crossing roads, playing sports, studying).
- Great scientists and sportspersons are all great observers.
B.10. Get into groups of four. Go on a ‘Fact-Finding Safari’. Collect information on your favourite sports personality. Prepare a collage and hang it in your class. Celebrate the ‘Sports Safari’ in your class.
- Pick a favourite sports personality (e.g., Neeraj Chopra, Virat Kohli, Sania Mirza).
- Collect newspaper clippings, printouts, and facts.
- Include achievements, medals, personal quotes.
- Decorate and display your collage in the classroom.
B.11. Rohit has won the Chess Championship of his school. After coming back home, he writes his feelings in his personal diary. Read what he has written.
No work needed – just read and understand how Rohit expressed his feelings after a win.
B.12. Suppose the baby with whom Sunil was exchanged reads this story. What would be his reaction?
Imagine you are that baby, now grown into a successful businessman with many fishing boats for the deep sea fishing. Taking cues from the above diary extract, describe your feelings about the incident in the space given below.
Sample Answer:
I was surprised to read the book written by Sunil Gavaskar. I had never imagined that such a thing happened at birth and that I was actually mixed up with a future cricket legend! I feel lucky that both of us ended up in good places. I became a successful businessman in the fishing industry and have many fishing boats that go out for deep-sea fishing. Life could have been very different. Maybe I would have played cricket if I had grown up in his family! Still, I’m proud of the life I’ve made, and I wish Sunil continued success. It’s strange to think how a small hole in someone’s ear can change two lives forever.