One app for all your study abroad needs
NCERT Class 11 English Chapter 4: The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Solutions: “The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role” focuses on the growing concern for the environment and the urgent need to protect our planet. In NCERT Class 11 English Chapter 4, students explore how environmental awareness has evolved and how the Green Movement has played a key role in promoting sustainable development.
This chapter emphasizes the importance of conserving natural resources, maintaining ecological balance, and recognizing the rights of future generations. To help students understand these vital ideas, we have provided clear and well-structured solutions to all the textbook exercises. These solutions will help students grasp the main concepts, historical background, and environmental messages presented in the text with clarity and depth.
Table of Contents
Explore Notes of Class 11 English Hornbill
Exercises
Understanding the Text
- Locate the lines in the text that support the title ‘The Ailing Planet’.
- What does the notice ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’ at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
- How are the Earth’s principal biological systems being depleted?
- Why does the author aver that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Solutions:
- The title is supported by the line: “The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.” This metaphor compares Earth to a sick patient, highlighting its deteriorating ecological condition due to environmental destruction and exploitation.
- The notice refers to a mirror inside an empty cage, where the viewer sees their own reflection. It signifies that humans are the most dangerous species on Earth because they are responsible for destroying nature and disturbing ecological balance.
- The Earth has four principal biological systems — fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands. These are being depleted due to overuse and unsustainable exploitation. For instance, forests are disappearing due to deforestation, and overfishing has reduced fish populations.
- The author says population growth leads to excessive pressure on resources, which causes environmental degradation, deforestation, water scarcity, and poverty. He believes that without controlling population, all environmental efforts will fail.
Talking About the Text
- Laws are never respected nor enforced in India.
- “Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment?”
- “We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”
- The problems of overpopulation that directly affect our everyday life.
Solutions:
- While laws related to the environment exist in India, they are poorly enforced. Many people break them due to a lack of awareness, corruption, or negligence. This attitude reflects a weak commitment to sustainability and the rule of law.
- This rhetorical question emphasizes the moral responsibility of the present generation. It urges people to act immediately to stop environmental damage, so future generations inherit a healthy and habitable Earth.
- This quote means we should treat Earth with care and responsibility, not as owners, but as trustees. Since the planet belongs to future generations, we must preserve its health for them.
- Overpopulation causes crowded cities, unemployment, pollution, food and water shortage, and health issues. It puts a strain on schools, hospitals, and housing, affecting quality of life and environmental balance.
Thinking About Language
Meanings of Latin Phrases:
- What is the meaning of prima facie?
- What is the meaning of ad hoc?
- What is the meaning of in camera?
- What is the meaning of ad infinitum?
- What is the meaning of mutatis mutandis?
- What is the meaning of caveat?
- What is the meaning of tabula rasa?
Solutions:
- Prima facie means at first glance.
- Ad hoc means for a specific purpose.
- In camera means in private (used for meetings or trials).
- Ad infinitum means endlessly.
- Mutatis mutandis means with necessary changes.
- Caveat means a warning or caution.
- Tabula rasa means a clean slate; something unmarked or uninfluenced.
Working with Words
I. Locate the following phrases in the text and study their connotation:
- What does the phrase ‘gripped the imagination of’ mean?
- What does the phrase ‘dawned upon’ mean?
- What does the phrase ‘ushered in’ mean?
- What does the phrase ‘passed into current coin’ mean?
- What does the phrase ‘passport of the future’ mean?
II. Literal and Figurative Use of Words:
- Grip
- Dawn
- Usher
- Coin
- Passport
Solutions:
- Gripped the imagination of means caught attention and inspired action, and is used in the text to describe the Green Movement.
- Dawned upon means became clear or understood gradually.
- Ushered in means introduced or marked the beginning of a change.
- Passed into current coin means became a commonly used idea or phrase.
- Passport of the future means symbol of opportunity or progress, referring to sustainable development.
II.
1. Grip
- Literal: He has a firm grip on the rope.
- Figurative: The idea gripped the nation’s imagination.
2. Dawn
- Literal: The sun dawns in the east.
- Figurative: It finally dawned on me that I was wrong.
3. Usher
- Literal: The usher led us to our seats.
- Figurative: The Green Movement ushered in a new era of awareness.
4. Coin
- Literal: He paid the fare with a silver coin.
- Figurative: She coined a new term in environmental science.
5. Passport
- Literal: She handed over her passport at the airport.
- Figurative: Education is the passport to a better future.
Related Reads
For more topics, follow LeverageEdu NCERT Study Material today!
