Question Answers Class 6 Chapter 4.6 Balbharati English Maharashtra Board

Question Answers For All Chapters – Balbharati English Class 6

The Phantom Tollbooth (A Book Review)

POINTERS

1. Read the passage and answer the following:
(a) Which book is introduced in the passage?
Answer : The book introduced in the passage is The Phantom Tollbooth.

(b) Where does the story take place?
Answer : The story starts in San Francisco in the United States, where Milo lives. Then, it takes place in a magical place called the Kingdom of Wisdom, where Milo travels through the tollbooth.

(c) Who is the main character in the story?
Answer : The main character in the story is Milo.

(d) Why is the tollbooth called a ‘phantom’ tollbooth?
Answer : The tollbooth is called a ‘phantom’ tollbooth because it appears suddenly in Milo’s room and then disappears after he drives through it, like a ghost or something mysterious.

(e) When was the book written?
Answer : The book was written more than 50 years ago from today. Since today is April 08, 2025, it was written before 1975.

(f) Who has written the book?
Answer : The book was written by Norman Juster.

2. List the various people and places mentioned in the passage. The places Milo visits and the people he meets have unusual names. Write the meanings of those names.
Answer : People:

• Milo: The main boy in the story. His name doesn’t have a special meaning here, but it’s simple and common.
• Lethargarians: People who are lazy and waste time. Their name comes from “lethargy,” which means being slow or lazy.
• Princesses Rhyme and Reason: Two princesses Milo has to rescue. “Rhyme” means words that sound the same (like in poems), and “Reason” means thinking clearly.

Places:

• San Francisco: A real city in the United States where Milo lives.
• Doldrums: A place where the Lethargarians live. It means a boring or dull place where nothing happens.
• Kingdom of Wisdom: A magical land Milo visits. It means a place where smart and wise things happen.
• Castles of Air: Where the princesses are kept. It means something dreamy or not real, like castles in the sky.

3. List the various things that the Lethargarians do or want to do. Can you sum up all of it in one word or phrase?
Answer : Things the Lethargarians do or want to do:
Daydreaming
Taking naps
Dawdling (wasting time)
Delaying things
Biding their time (waiting lazily)
Lingering and loitering (hanging around)
Putting off work for tomorrow
Loafing and lounging (being idle)
Dillydallying (being slow)
Brooding (thinking lazily)
Lagging (moving slowly)
Plodding (walking slowly)
Procrastinating (delaying work)
One word or phrase to sum it up: Laziness

4. In the novel, the Lethargarians give a whole day’s timetable of their activities. Can you guess what it would be like? Use your own ideas and prepare their timetable.
Answer : खालील तुमच्या अनुभवासाठी एक उदाहरण आहे, पण ईविद्यर्थी तुम्हाला तुमचा स्वतःचा अनुभव लिहिण्यास प्रवृत्त करते.
Here’s a fun timetable for the Lethargarians based on their lazy habits:

6. Activity :
Start a collection of new and interesting words. Write the words in coloured ink on cards of equal size and arrange them in alphabetical order. Try to use the words in your writing or conversation from time to time.
Answer :  Word: Dillydally
Meaning: To waste time or be slow
Sentence: I didn’t dillydally and finished my homework fast!

Word: Loiter
Meaning: To stand or wait around without purpose
Sentence: The boys loitered near the park all day.

You can make cards for words like “procrastinate,” “linger,” or “dawdle” too!

7. Discuss what makes the following sentences funny.

(a) “Your wasted time will be refunded.”
Answer : This is funny because time isn’t something you can give back like money. If you waste time, it’s gone forever, so the idea of “refunding” it sounds silly and impossible.

(b) “There was no highway attached to the booth.”
Answer : This is funny because a tollbooth is supposed to be on a road or highway, but Milo’s tollbooth just appeared in his room with no road! It’s unexpected and makes no sense in a normal way, which makes it amusing.