A Pod of My Own

About the passage

Understand and Answer

A. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

‘ “Won’t it get crowded when it stops to pick up other passengers?” I asked’

1. Who asked this question, and to whom?

Ans. The writer asked this question to his mum.

2. Where was the speaker at that moment?

Ans. The speaker was in the pod at that moment.

3. What made the speaker think that ‘it’ would get crowded?

Ans. The speaker thought that ‘it’ would get crowded when it stops to pick up other passengers.

B. Complete these sentences with information from the text.

1. The writer was visiting his uncle in London.

2. They reached Heathrow Airport at a very convenient time -11am.

3. ‘Pod’ is another name for ULTra PRT.

4. The pods were controlled by computer.

5. Pods are environment – friendly because they are battery-powered.

C. Answer these questions.

1. Why did no one meet the narrator at the airport? How did this turn out to be a good thing for the writer?

Ans. No one met the narrator at the airport because his mum told her brother that they would reach his place on their own. This turn out to be a good thing for the writer because he got chance to ride in a ‘pod’.

2. Why was the writer curious to know about the new transport system?

Ans. The writer was curious to know about the new transport system because everybody had been talking about it.

3. Did he find the pod attractive? How do you know?

Ans. Yes, he found the ‘pod’ attractive because it looked tiny hatchback cars. He liked the front windows of the ‘pod’ which reminded him of the adorable face of honey bee-with long, black eyes.

4. How does travelling in a pod save your time?

Ans. Travelling in a pod saves time because they don’t get stuck in traffic jams.

5. Are pods safe to travel in? How do you know?

Ans. Pods are safe to travel in because they are computer-driven and the chances of an accident are less.

Think and answer

Do you think a pod would be a suitable mode of transport in a country like India? Why or why not?

Ans. Yes, a pod would be a suitable mode of transport in a country like India. The futuristic transit system is expected to provide a fast and convenient mode of transport. It will also help decongest the roads in many areas, where crippling gridlocks are a regular feature.