Unit-1 - Contributions Of Notable Leaders - Reading Comprehension - The Wise Caliph - Question / Answers And Text Book Exercise Unit 1.1

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Unit-1 - Contributions Of Notable Leaders
Reading Comprehension
The Wise Caliph
English For Class X (2022 and Onward

Question / Answers

Q.1:  What was caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid known and respected for? Why did he go through the streets of Baghdad at night?
Ans: Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was known and respected for his wisdom and justice. At night, the Caliph would disguise himself  as a common man and go through the streets of Baghdad. He would mingle with the common people in order to gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems.

Q.2:  What was Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid known and respected for?
Ans: Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid has been a great ruler and well wisher of his people. He was known and respected for his wisdom and justice. The Caliph was a very wise and intelligent person. He provided social justice and peace to all subjects of his country. He loved and had a good concerned for their living.

Q.3: Why did he go through the streets of Baghdad? OR Why did the Caliph disguise himself?
Ans. At night, the Caliph would disguise himself  as a common man and go through the streets of Baghdad.  He would mingle with the common people in order to gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems. He believed that by doing so, he can help poor and needy people. He really wanted his people to live a trouble free life.

Q.4: What did the Qazi say to the Caliph?
Ans. The Qazi approached to the Caliph and said, "O Leader of the faithfuls, I have brought before you a dispute which I have not been able to settle. It is a difficult case, but I am certain that with your knowledge and wisdom, you will be able to resolve in a just and fair manner."

Q.5: What was the dispute between the rich man and beggar?
Ans. The dispute between the rich man and the beggar was over a beautiful horse. The rich man had given a ride to the beggar as an act of sympathy. But on reaching the city-gate the beggar refused to get down from the horse claiming that the horse belonging to him. So the beautiful white horse became the bone of contention between the two.

OR

The dispute between the rich man and the beggar was over a a horse, each of them claimed that it belonged to him.

Q.6: What did the rich man tell the Caliph?
Ans. The rich man told the Caliph that he was riding towards the city. On his way he saw a beggar, who was limping and asked for a ride up to city-gate. He had pity on him and gave him  the ride. Afterwards the beggar refused to get down from the horse after reaching the city gate and claimed that  the horse belonged to him.

OR

The rich man told the Caliph that he gave a ride to other man. As he was limping along the road,  he took pity on him and gave him  the ride. However, he refused to dismount from the horse on reaching the city gate and claimed that the horse belonged to him

Q.7: What did the beggar tell the Caliph?  OR  How did the beggar try to rob the rich man of his horse?
Ans: The beggar was a poor and lame person. He tried to take advantage of his physical condition. He told a wonderful fake story to impress the Caliph and others present in a court. He told that he was in rags because he had spent all his money on the horse. while he was riding to the city-gate he gave lift to the rich man because he was in hurry but after reaching at city-gate the rich man refused to dismount and start claiming that the horse belonged to him.

OR

The beggar told the Caliph that he gave ride to the other man because he was in a  hurry to reach the city. On reaching the city gate, he refused to dismount from the horse by saying that such a fine horse should not belong to a beggar. And he was a in rags because of this horse, he had spent all his money on this horse.

Q.8: Why did the beggar refuse to go down the horse?
Ans. The beggar refused to get down the horse because he wanted to rob (snatch) the horse of rich man . He also fabricated a false story to claim his ownership.

Q.9: How did the Caliph prove that the beggar was a liar? OR how did the Caliph discover / Find the real owner of horse?
Ans. As per order of the Caliph the beggar placed his hand on the horse first. When the beggar touched the horse first, it winced as if it did not like the touch of his hand. But when the rich man touched, the horse snorted and neighed with pleasure. In this way the Caliph discovered the real owner of the horse and proved that the beggar was a liar.

Q.10: What did the horse do when the rich man touched it? OR What was the reaction of horse when the rich man touched it?
Ans. When the rich man touched the horse it neighed and snorted with pleasure and calm and comfortable. This reaction of the horse proved that it was the hand of his real master.

Q.11: What did the Caliph Haroon Rashid say to the beggar after the settlement of dispute? OR What was the decision given by the Caliph? OR On what condition did the Caliph decide to forgive the beggar?
Ans. The Caliph pronounced the beggar that he was a lair and wicked man because he wanted to rob honest and a respectable citizen. According to the caliph, the beggar deserved punishment but could be forgiven if he begged forgiveness of the rich man. Afterwards the rich man forgave him.

OR

Calip Haroon Rashid said to the beggar after the settlement of dispute, " You are a liar and wicked man. You tried to rob an honest and respectable citizen. You deserve severe punishment, but I shall be merciful and forgive you his time, if you, beg forgiveness of this gentleman here.

Q.12: What did the rich man do in the end? OR What was the noble action of the rich man which pleased every body in the court of the caliph? OR What did the rich man do in the court after the settlement of case? OR After getting the horse how did the rich man behave?
Ans:  The rich man being generous and kind immediately forgave the beggar for his cheating. He also  gave him a handful of coins thinking that he was very poor. He felt sorry for him. This noble act of the rich man pleased everybody in the court.

Q.13: What do you know about Caliph Haroon Rashid?
Ans: Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was a famous Muslim ruler. He was the Caliph of Baghdad. He was a justice ruler. He was also wise and intelligent. He was great scholar of his time. He was a great patron of learning. he roamed about the street of Baghdad in order to gain first hand knowledge about the problems of masses so he could help them effectively.

Q.14: How did the Caliph behave with the beggar in the end?
Ans: Though it was clearly prove that the beggar was a liar and the culprit, yet the Caliph did not punish him. He felt sorry for him and warned him not to repeat such wicked act in future. His behavior towards beggar was humble and polite. He further advised him not to repeat such evil act in future.

Q.15: What did the horse do when the beggar touched it?
Ans: When the beggar touched the horse, it winced as if it did not like the touch of his hand.

Q.16: How can we say that the Caliph was very wise in pronouncing the judgement?
Ans: The Caliph was very wise in pronouncing the judgement because he was gifted with wisdom. The Caliph knew that the horse is a very faithful animal and loves its master. He used this characteristics of horses to pronounce the judgement.

Q.17: What did the Caliph say to the Qazi after hearing of the both?
Ans: After hearing of the both, the Caliph said to the Qazi, "I think this case is not very difficult to solve. It can be decided in a minute. Tell these men to place their hands on the horse, one by one. Let the beggar do it first."

Q.18: How did the two men brought before the Caliph look like?
Ans: One day, when the Caliph Haroon Rasheed was holding court, the Qazi brought two men before him. One of them was well-dressed and appeared to be a well-to-do, respectable citizen, while the other was in rags and seemed to be a beggar. Along with these two men, a beautiful white horse was also brought in.

Q.19: On what condition did the Caliph decide to  forgive the beggar?
Ans: The Caliph decided to forgive the beggar on the condition that if he begged forgiveness from the rich man.

Pre-reading

1. What are the some qualities of a good person?
Ans: The some qualities of a good person are:

1. They are honest
2. They are humble
3. Always speak truth
4. Help others
5. Forgive other mistakes easily
6. They have good manners
7. They are generous
8. Have positive attitude
9. Loyal

2. What are some characteristics of a bad person?
Ans: Some characteristics of a bad person are:

1. They are dishonest
2. They are arrogant
3. Always tell a lie
4. Selfish
5. Hurt others
6. Greedy
7. They are back biter
8. Have negative attitude
9. Disloyal

3. Should people who do bad things always be punished? If 'yes', why? If 'no', why not?
Ans: Depends on the nature of act a person should be punished or not.
If answer is yes:
People who do bad things should always be punished, if they do not leave their bad habit after warning and keep continuing it. To stop them, they have to punish.

If answer is no:
People who do bad things should not always be punished. If they ashamed on their deed thn they should not be punished but give them a chance to improve themself and appreciate them if they leave their bad habit.

TEXT BOOK EXERCISE
UNIT 1.1
READING COMPREHENSION

EXERCISE 1

Read the story and answer the following questions in your note book.
a) How many main characters are there in the story?
Ans: Altogether, there are four main characters in the story. They are the Caliph Haroon Rasheed, Qazi, beggar and a rich man.

b) Who are they?
Ans: These charachters are:

• The Caliph Haroon Rasheed of Baghdad
• The Qazi of the city
• The Rich man who owned beautiful horse and
• The Limp beggar who wrongly claimed the horse

c) Who got the horse?
Ans: After the dispute was settled, the rich man got the horse. Because he was the real master or owner of the horse.

d) Was the person who wrongly claimed the horse punished?
Ans: No, he (the beggar) was not punished because he was forgiven by the caliph and the rich man, even the rich man gave handful of gold coins to him.

EXERCISE 2

Read the text again and underline the following words:

disguise, rags, claims, winced, concerned, dispute, motioned, neighed, welfare, resolve, dismount, pronounced, mingle, certain, puzzled.

The meanings of all these words are given in a order in the exercise below. Fill the blanks with the correct words. The first one has been done as an example. After you have completed, compare your answers with your partner.

1. Disguise means change appearance
2. Claims means states something as true
3. Welfare means general well being
4. Mingle means mix with people
5. Rags means old, torn clothes
6. Dispute means disagreement about something
7. Resolve means find a solution
8. Certain means know for sure
9. Concerned means worried about
10. Motioned means signaled
11. Dismount means get off something.
12. Puzzled means unable to understand.
13. Winced means showed dislike.
14. Neighed means sound made by a horse
15. Pronounced means officially said.

EXERCISE 3

The following statements are incorrect. Read the text and write the correct statements.
1. The case was first brought to Caliph by two men.
Ans: The case was first brought to Caliph by Qazi.

2. The Qazi said that the case was easy so he could not solve it.
Ans: The Qazi said that the case was difficult so he could not solve it.

3. The caliph asked the beggar to speak first.
Ans: The caliph asked the rich man to speak first.

4. The caliph wanted the rich man to touch the horse first.
Ans: The caliph wanted the beggar to touch the horse first.

5. The horse belonged to the beggar.
Ans: The horse belonged to the rich man.

6. The Caliph decided to be strict.
Ans: The Caliph decided to be merciful.

7. The rich man hit the beggar.
Ans: The rich man forgave the beggar.

EXERCISE 4

When the Caliph asked the two men to state their cases, they made the following statements. However their statements are mixed up. Read the text and find out which person made each statement and write rich man or beggar in the speaker box, as shown. Work individually at first, and after completing compare your answers with your partner.

S.NO.	DIALOGUES	SPEAKER
1.	He begged me to give him a ride.	Rich man
2.	I swear the horse is mine.	Beggar
3.	He said no one would believe me if i said that horse is mine.	Beggar
4.	I will tell the truth.	Rich man
5.	I have spent all my money on this horse.	Beggar
6.	He told me I was an ungrateful person.	Rich man
7.	On reaching the city gate I asked him to get down.	Rich man
8.	He said that he wanted to reach the city quickly.	Beggar
9.	He said if I did not get down, he would use force.	Beggar
10.	You are just and wise.	Beggar
11.	He wanted to go up to city gate.	Rich man
12.	Believe what I say.	Rich man
13.	On reaching the city gate he ordered me to get off the horse.	Beggar
14.	I was puzzled when he refused to get down.	Rich man
15.	He requested me to lend him my horse.	Beggar
16.	He was limping and asked me to stop	Rich man

EXERCISE 5

READ THE TEXT AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK:
1. With your knowledge and wisdom, you will be able to resolve the case in just manner.
2. He not only refused to get down, but, instead ,claimed that the horse belonged to him.
3. Have pity on me and save me from the cruelty and injustice of this rich man.
4. Whatever money I had ,I spent on this horse.
5. I beg you to save me from this robber and give me back my horse.
6. Tell these men to place their hands on the horse one by one.
7. You are a liar and a wicked man.
8. Instead of thanking you for taking pity on me and giving me a lift I lied and claimed that the horse belonged to me.

EXERCISE 6

Work in pairs and complete yjre following sentences by referring to the text. Write the complete statements in your notebook. The first one has been done as an example.
1. The Caliph used to walk through the streets of Baghdad at night because, he wanted to gain first hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems.
2. The Qazi went to the caliph because he was unable to solve the dispute between two men.
3. The rich man said that he gave the beggar a lift because the beggar was lame and the rich man felt sorry for him.
4. The beggar refused to get off the horse because he wanted to rob the rich man of his horse.
5. The beggar said that he gave the rich man a lift because the rich man was in a hurry to rich the city.
6. The horse winced when the beggar touched it because it did not like the touch of the beggar.
7. The horse snorted and neighed when the rich man touched it because the horse was pleased.
8. Everyone liked the rich man because he forgave the beggar and gave him a handful of coins.

EXERCISE 7

Work with your partner and discuss the following questions by referring to the text. After discussing, write the answers in your notebook.
Q.1: What was caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid known and respected for?
Ans: Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was known and respected for his justice and wisdom. He was very popular with his people and was very concerned about their problems and their welfare. At night, he would disguise himself as a common man and go through the streets of Baghdad. He would mingle with the common people in order to gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems.

OR

Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid has been a great ruler and well wisher of his people. He was known and respected for his wisdom and justice. The Caliph was a very wise and intelligent person. He provided social justice and peace to all subjects of his country. He loved and had a good concerned for their living.

Q.2: How did the two men brought before the Caliph look like?
Ans: One day, when the Caliph Haroon Rasheed was holding court, the Qazi brought two men before him. One of them was well-dressed and appeared to be a well-to-do, respectable citizen, while the other was in rags and seemed to be a beggar. Along with these two men, a beautiful white horse was also brought in.

Q.3: What was the dispute between the rich man and beggar?
Ans. The dispute between the rich man and the beggar was over a beautiful horse. The rich man had given a ride to the beggar as an act of sympathy. But on reaching the city-gate the beggar refused to get down from the horse claiming that the horse belonging to him. So the beautiful white horse became the bone of contention between the two.

Q.4: How did the Caliph decide who was owner of horse?
Ans. As per order of the Caliph, When the beggar touched the horse first, it winced as if it did not like the touch of his hand. But when the rich man touched, the horse snorted and neighed with pleasure. In this way the Caliph discovered the real owner of the horse and proved that the beggar was a liar.

Q.5: On what condition did the Caliph decide to forgive the beggar?
Ans: The Caliph pronounced the beggar that he was a lair and wicked man because he wanted to rob honest and a respectable citizen. According to the caliph, the beggar deserved punishment but could be forgiven if he begged forgiveness of the rich man. Afterwards the rich man forgave him.

Q.6: After getting the horse how did the rich man behave?
Ans: The rich man being generous and kind, after getting the horse immediately forgave the beggar for his cheating. He also gave him a handful of coins thinking that he was very poor. This noble act of the rich man pleased everybody in the court.

EXERCISE 8

Work in groups of five. Discuss and prepare a list of prepare a list of five things that you think a head of the state should do and five things that she/he should not do. and five things that she/he should not do. Each group will then have to make a presentation before the class.
Ans: Five things that a head of the state should do:
1. Provide equal justice to all people
2. Make policiess to solve difficulties and problems of common people
3. Focus to develop state
4. Have strong personality to represent nation in foreign countries
5. Should be Honest and loyal to state.

Five things that head of the state should not do:
1. Should not differentiate people on the bases of political parties.
2. Should not make laws to favour illegal power.
3. Should not declare war.
4. Should not spent federal money on personal affairs.
5. should not impose such taxes or duties which make life of common people difficult.