WORK SHEET NO:2 "THE SUBMERGED VALLEY

 

✍️ Fill in the Blanks – The Submerged Valley

(Each blank carries 1 mark. Total: 30 blanks)

1. The narrator’s father was an __________ by profession.

2. The family left the village when the narrator was __________ years old.

3. The narrator remembered the __________ atop the hillock in the village.

4. The villagers led a simple __________ life.

5. The bull of __________ used to walk across the village.

6. A lame __________ sitting on the tree was considered ominous.

7. The Harijan man with vitiligo wore a __________ topee.

8. The narrator used to chat with the big __________ in school when he felt sad.

9. Abolkara claimed to talk to __________ and jackals.

10. The villagers gave food to Abolkara as he wouldn’t leave until __________.

11. Attempts were made to train Abolkara in spinning __________.

12. The narrator cried when he heard the village would be submerged by a __________.

13. Villagers were reluctant to leave behind their ancestral lands and __________.

14. The government promised __________ and cash to the displaced villagers.

15. Some villagers resettled in a __________ about eighteen miles away.

16. After five years of the dam’s construction, the top of the __________ temple reappeared.

17. A dry __________ caused the water level to fall.

18. The narrator’s mother was __________ to visit the old village again.

19. The old houses were replaced by __________ and official buildings.

20. Villagers came in small __________ to visit the temple again.

21. A meeting was scheduled at __________ by the dam committee.

22. Heavy __________ started during the villagers’ visit.

23. Abolkara refused to board the boat and sat on a __________.

24. Father took the __________ again to rescue Abolkara.

25. Abolkara was brought back to the __________ after being rescued.

26. Mother gave him a change of __________ from the bungalow’s wardrobe.

27. Father asked if there was anything to __________ after returning.

28. Putu was the narrator’s __________.

29. The narrator realised that behind father’s stern look was a __________.

30. The narrator and Putu were __________ by the noise when father returned.

Worksheet on "The Submerged Valley"

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

(Choose the correct answer)

1. Why did the narrator leave the village?
   a) Due to a natural disaster
   b) Father's job transfer
   c) Family dispute
   d) For better education

2. What object did the narrator associate with comfort during school punishments?
   a) The river
   b) The temple
   c) The shady tree
   d) The bull of Shiva

3. What belief did the villagers have about the lame crow?
   a) It was sacred
   b) It brought rain
   c) It was a bad omen
   d) It guarded the village

4. What was Abolkara known for among the villagers?
   a) Being a great scholar
   b) Communicating with ravens and jackals
   c) Being an excellent farmer
   d) Building the temple

5. After how many years did the hillock and the Shiva temple reappear due to low water levels?
   a) Two years
   b) Three years
   c) Five years
   d) Seven years

Section B: Fill in the blanks

1. The narrator left the village when he was __________ years old.

2. The villagers did not want to leave because their __________' ashes were embedded in the soil.

3. The government promised __________ and cash compensation to the villagers.

4. Abolkara refused to board the __________ when the villagers were being evacuated due to heavy rain.

5. The narrator realized that his stern father actually had a __________ heart.

Section C: Short Answer Questions

(Answer briefly in 2-3 sentences)

1. Describe the lifestyle of the villagers before the construction of the dam.

2. What emotions did the narrator and his mother feel when they heard about the village being submerged? Why?

3. Explain the villagers’ attachment to their land and deities in your own words.

4. How does the narrator's perception of his father change after witnessing the rescue of Abolkara?

5. If you were in place of the villagers, how would you feel about leaving your ancestral land? Give one reason for your answer.

Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Question

(To encourage critical thinking)

• "Change is needed for development," said the narrator's father.
  Do you agree with this statement? Give your opinion with one reason and one example from the story or real life.

ANSWERS:

Fill in the Blanks – The Village and the Dam worksheet:

1. engineer

2. five

3. temple of Lord Shiva

4. agrarian

5. Shiva

6. crow

7. cork

8. tree

9. ravens

10. he had eaten to his satisfaction

11. cloth

12. dam

13. deities

14. rehabilitation

15. valley

16. Shiva

17. monsoon

18. overjoyed

19. bungalows

20. boats

21. sundown

22. rain

23. rock

24. launch

25. bungalow

26. clothes

27. eat

28. sister

29. caring

30. awakened

Worksheet on "The Submerged Valley"

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Why did the narrator leave the village?
   (b) His father was transferred to a town

2. Who was Abolkara?
   (a) A mentally unstable man believed to talk to ravens and jackals

3. What did the villagers request the narrator’s father?
   (b) To stop the construction of a dam

4. How did the narrator feel when he heard about the dam submerging the village?
   (c) Sad and emotional

5. What natural event caused the hillock and Shiva temple to become visible again?
   (b) A dry monsoon season

Section B: Fill in the Blanks

1. The narrator left his village at the age of five.

2. The bull of Shiva was seen roaming freely in the village.

3. The government planned to construct a dam that would submerge the village.

4. The hillock and the Shiva temple became visible again due to low water levels.

5. Abolkara refused to leave the rock during the rain.

6. The narrator’s father risked his life to save Abolkara.

7. The villagers were offered rehabilitation and cash by the government.

8. Abolkara used to spin the wheel just for fun.

9. The narrator often spoke to the shady tree at school for solace.

10. The narrator’s father was an engineer.

Section C: Short Answer Type Questions

1. Describe the character of Abolkara.
   Abolkara was considered eccentric and half-witted by the villagers. He claimed to speak with ravens and jackals. He didn’t care for work but loved spinning the wheel. Despite being different, villagers showed kindness towards him and fed him.

2. Why were the villagers unwilling to leave the village?
   The villagers were emotionally attached to their ancestral land, deities, and the ashes of their forefathers buried in the soil. They feared losing their identity and cultural roots.

3. How did the narrator’s mother react when she visited the village again?
   She was overwhelmed by the changes and filled with nostalgia. She talked with old villagers and expressed her emotions quietly.

4. What does the incident of rescuing Abolkara reveal about the narrator’s father?
   Though he appeared stern, he was compassionate and caring. He risked his life to save Abolkara, showing his deep-rooted concern for the people of his village.

5. Why is the story titled as it is (if it were titled "Return to the Submerged Village")?
   Because the story revolves around a nostalgic return to the childhood village, now submerged by a dam. The ‘return’ signifies both physical travel and emotional reconnection.

WORKSHEET

Section A: Vocabulary and Language Skills

1. Find the meaning of the following words from the context of the passage:

   a. Nostalgia – A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past.
   b. Ominous – Indicating a bad or threatening sign.
   c. Swaggered – Walked or behaved in a very confident and arrogant way.
   d. Solace – Comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.
   e. Rehabilitation – The process of restoring people to a normal life or a new place after displacement.

✍️ 2. Match the Following (Each carries 1 mark – Total: 5 marks)

Match the items in Column A with the correct options from Column B:

Column A		Column B
(i) Shiva’s temple	→	(a) Called himself a Saheb
(ii) Abolkara	→	(b) Located atop the hillock
(iii) Vitiligo man	→	(c) Talked to ravens and jackals
(iv) Dam construction	→	(d) Narrator’s secret friend
(v) Shady tree in school	→	(e) Caused village submergence

• Match the following:

  • (i) Shiva’s temple → (b) Located atop the hillock

  • (ii) Abolkara → (c) Talked to ravens and jackals

  • (iii) Vitiligo man → (a) Called himself a Saheb

  • (iv) Dam construction → (e) Caused village submergence

  • (v) Shady tree in school → (d) Narrator’s secret friend

Section B: Critical Thinking and Expression

3. Why do you think the villagers associated the lame crow with bad omen?
   Because rural communities often have deep-rooted superstitions and they believed unusual or lame animals were signs of impending misfortune.

4. How does the narrator’s perception of his father change by the end of the story?
   Initially, the narrator saw his father as emotionless and stern. However, after witnessing his father risk his life to save Abolkara, he realized his father was deeply caring and empathetic beneath his serious exterior.

5. Do you think development should come at the cost of displacement of communities? Justify your answer briefly.
   While development is necessary, it should not disregard human emotions, heritage, or cultural roots. Communities should be consulted and compensated adequately, and efforts should be made to preserve their dignity and traditions.

Section C: Creative Writing Prompt

6. Imagine you are the narrator. Write a short diary entry on the night you returned to the village and saw Abolkara again.
   (Sample Answer)
   Dear Diary,
   Today was overwhelming. Returning to my village after so many years filled my heart with a strange ache. The water had receded just enough to show the old hillock and Shiva’s temple—my childhood memories flooding back. But what shook me most was seeing Abolkara, sitting on a rock, soaked and stubborn, refusing to leave. Father, once again the silent hero, braved the rain to bring him back. I had always thought of him as cold, but today I saw something else—compassion, courage, and a deep love for our roots. I will never forget this night.

WORKSHEET

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What prompted the narrator to recall his village for the first time after leaving it?
   (b) A school essay on village life

2. Why did the villagers resist the construction of the dam?
   (a) They did not want to leave their ancestral homes and deities

3. How did the narrator describe Abolkara?
   (c) A half-witted man who claimed to talk to animals

4. What did the father do when he saw Abolkara refusing to leave during the rain?
   (a) He rescued him risking his own life

5. What change did the narrator see in his father by the end of the story?
   (b) He realized his father had a caring heart

Section B: Fill in the blanks

1. The narrator left the village when he was five years old.

2. The Shiva temple was located on a hillock.

3. The villagers believed a lame crow was a bad omen.

4. The villagers were promised rehabilitation and cash for vacating their lands.

5. Abolkara claimed he could talk to ravens and jackals.

Section C: Short Answer Questions

1. Why did the villagers find it hard to leave their village despite the government’s compensation?
   The villagers were emotionally attached to their land, deities, and the ashes of their ancestors. These deep-rooted cultural and spiritual ties made it difficult for them to accept resettlement, even with compensation.

2. Describe the relationship the narrator had with the big tree in his school.
   The narrator felt a deep emotional connection with the big tree, believing it sympathized with him during tough times at school. It served as a silent friend, giving him comfort and solace when he was scolded or punished.

3. What does the father’s action during the rain reveal about his character?
   Although he appeared strict and emotionless, his decision to risk his life to rescue Abolkara revealed his compassionate, responsible, and humane nature. It showed his deep-rooted empathy for the people of his village.

4. What was the emotional impact on the narrator when he heard the village would be submerged?
   He was overwhelmed with sadness and cried upon hearing the news. It stirred memories and a deep sense of loss for the place where he had spent his early childhood.

5. What message does the story convey about progress and human values?
   The story suggests that while development is essential, it should not overlook the emotional and cultural needs of people. True progress balances infrastructure with empathy, heritage, and respect for community life.