202110734-PERFORM-TEACHER-TEACHER_COMPANION_BOOK-ENGLISH-G06-FY

1.1 Who did Patrick’s Homework Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Patrick never did homework “Too boring,” he said. He played hockey and basketball and Nintendo instead. His teachers told him. “Patrick! Do your homework or you won’t learn a thing.” And it’s true, sometimes he did feel like an ignoramus. But what could he do? He hated homework. i) Why didn’t Patrick ever do his homework? ii) What did he do instead of doing his homework? iii) What did his teachers tell him? iv) How did he feel like? v) Find words in the passage which mean the same as: a. a video game b. an ignorant man Ans: i) Patrick didn’t do his homework because he found it very boring. ii) He played hockey, basketball and Nintendo. iii) His teachers told him that if he didn’t do his homework, he wouldn’t learn anything. iv) Sometimes he felt like an ignorant person. v) a. Nintendo b. Ignoramus. Extract 2: And true to his word, that little elf began to do Patrick’s homework. Except there was one glitch. The elf didn’t always know what to do and he needed help. “Help me! Help me!” he’d say. And Patrick would have to help—in whatever way. “I don’t know this word,” the elf squeaked while reading Patrick’s homework “Get me a dictionary. No, what’s even better, look up the word and sound it out by each letter” i) How did the little elf keep up his word? ii) What was the glitch? iii) What did the elf do while reading Patrick’s homework? iv) What did the elf ask Patrick for? v) Write the meanings for: a. elf b. squeaked Ans: i) The little elf began to do Patrick’s homework. Thus, he kept his word. ii) The glitch was that the elf did not know what to do. He needed Patrick’s help. iii) The elf squeaked while reading Patrick’s homework. He asked Patrick to help him do the homework. iv) The elf asked for a dictionary. v) a. a mischievous little creature b. gave a short high-pitched cry. 1

1.2 A House, A Home Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: What is a home? It’s loving and family and doing for others. It’s brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. It’s unselfish acts and kindly sharing and showing your loved ones you’re always caring. i) According to the author, what makes a home? ii) What constitutes a family? iii) How are family members different from others? iv) In your opinion, how is a home different from a house? Ans: i) Members of a family make a home. ii) Parents, brothers and sisters constitute a family. iii) Family members are often not selfish. They love and care for each other. iv) The love and care among members of a family makes a house a home. Without the love and care of people a house cannot be called a home. 2

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Train journeys are super fun especially while travelling with a group of friends. One of my most memorable journeys by train was my journey from Delhi to Jaipur. It was a school trip so we were all really excited about it. We had numerous plans for the trip and were especially looking forward to have a great time on our way. We all reached the railway station by 6 in the morning and the train started within few minutes. I occupied the window seat to see the view outside. The view of the green fields, muddy roads and huts on the way was delightful. My best friend sat beside me and we chatted as we looked outside. Soon, it was time for breakfast. I loved the cutlets and bread served in the train. We also had hot tomato soup after having a plate of bread and cutlets. After the breakfast, we all decided to play dumb charade. Playing dumb charade in large groups is always fun. Our teachers also joined us thereby adding to the fun. We played dumb charade for the rest of the journey and before we even knew we had reached our destina- tion. It was a great experience. The company of my friends made this train journey all the more joyful. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. Playing dumb charade ______________________________. b. Train journeys ____________________________ with a group of friends. c. The narrator felt __________ and ______________ during the journey. Ans: a. in large groups is always fun. b. are super fun especially while travelling c. happy, excited 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. Why was the narrator really excited about the trip? b. What did the narrator see outside the train window? c. What breakfast was served to narrator in the train? Ans: a. The narrator was really excited about the trip because it was a school trip. b. The narrator saw the view of the green fields, muddy roads and huts on the way. c. cutlets and bread 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. unforgettable   b. journey’s end point c. gossiped Ans: a. memorable  b. destination  c. chatted 3

PPRRAACCTTICICEESSHHEEETT- -11(P(PSS-1-1) ) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Summer vacations are generally the happiest period of the student’s life. It matters a lot to them as they get some rest and relaxation from their daily school schedule. Now-a-days, summer vacations period is 45 days every year. It starts from the third week of the month of May and ends on last day of last week of June month every year. Summer vacations not only provide relaxation from high summer heat but also gives students a long break after final exams, etc. Students feel tired and do not take interest in study after end of the annual examina- tions. So, they need some rest after a long one year of study to recover their health and ability. Parents plan summer holidays to spend quality time with their kids. They book air ticket, train ticket or bus ticket and hotels to stay in some holiday destination. During summer vacation, students get opportunity to visit new places which enhances their general knowledge. I also join tuition classes to improve my weak subjects. This year, I have planned to visit my aunt’s home at Uttar Pradesh for almost 10 days. I will visit my native place where my sweet grandparents live. I like to spend some quality time with them and eat fresh vegetables and fruits they crop in their fields. I will click some memorable photographs with them and keep with me forever. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. Parents plan summer holidays _______________________________________. b. __________________________________ generally the happiest period of the student’s life. c. Students feel tired ________________________________ the end of the annual examinations. Ans: a. to spend quality time with their kids. b. Summer vacations are c. and do not take interest in study after 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. Why do summer vacations matter a lot to the students? b. How does summer vacation help in enhancing the general knowledge of the students? c. What does the author do during summer vacation to improve his weak subjects? Ans: a. Summer vacations matter a lot to the students as they get some rest and relaxation from their daily school schedule. b. During summer vacation, students get opportunity to visit new places which enhances their general knowledge. c. He joins tuition classes to improve his subjects. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following. a.  Chance (Para 3) b.  Improves (Para 3) c.  Unforgettable (Para 4) Ans: a. Opportunity b. Enhances c. Memorable 4

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. Recently you celebrated your birthday with your friends and family and you received wonderful gifts. Write a letter to your uncle describing how you celebrated your birthday and thanking him for the set of storybooks that he has sent you as a birthday gift. You are Nibha, living at 23, Vivek Vihar, Lucknow. (Word limit: 100-120 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Uncle, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Value points to guide content: A casual opening like “How are you? /I hope that you are doing well.” My eighth birthday-Parents arranged a big party-House decorated with streamers and balloons-A special birthday cake ordered-All my friends were also invited-All brought gifts-Mother kept them carefully in my room. We all wore nice party dresses-we played games-Mother gave prizes to the winners-After dinner, my parents gave gifts to all my friends-A lovely evening-Loved each moment of it Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency II. Examine the following picture and write a composition in 100-150 words. Give a suitable heading. Ans: Format (Title), Content (Organisation of ideas), Expression Value points: Title: Picnic to the seaside with friends • Got into the school bus, collected our snacks and went to the beach • Strict instructions from the teacher • A fine morning • Very excited when we reached the beach • Played on the sand and made sand castles • Teacher helped us as we played in the water. • Collected beautiful shells • Were tired after our play and had our snacks • Clicked pictures • Thanked teacher for a wonderful day out. Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency 5

2.1 How the Dog found Himself a New Master! Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Seeing that the bear was stronger than the Wolf, the Dog decided to take up service with him, and he left the Wolf and asked the Bear to be his master. The Bear agreed to this readily and said: “Let us go and find a herd of cows. I’ll kill a cow and then we can both eat our fill.” They walked on and soon saw a herd of cows, but just as they were about to come up to it they were stopped by a terrible noise. The cows were mooing loudly and running in panic in all directions. i) Why did the dog decide to ask the bear to be his master? ii) Did the bear agree to be the dog’s master? iii) What did the bear suggest? iv) What were the cows doing? v) Find a word having the same meaning as ‘sudden feeling of great fear’. Ans: i) The dog asked the bear to be his master because he was stronger than the wolf. ii) Yes, the bear readily agreed to be the dog’s master. iii) The bear suggested to the dog that they should go and find a herd of cows. iv) The cows were mooing loudly and running in panic in all directions. v) Panic Extract 2: But one day the two of them were walking side by side along a path that ran amid bare cliffs when all of a sudden the Lion stopped. He gave a great roar, struck the ground angrily with his paw with such force that a hole formed there, and began to back away very quietly. “What is it, master, is anything wrong?” asked the Dog, surprised. “I smell a man coming this way,” the Lion said. “We’d better run for it or we’ll be in trouble.” “Oh, well, then I’ll say goodbye to you, Lion. I want a master who is stronger than anyone on earth.” And off the Dog went to join the man and he stayed with him and served him faithfully. This happened long, long ago, but to this day the dog is man’s most loyal servant and knows no other master. i) Where were the two of them walking? ii) Who stopped suddenly? iii) How did the lion behave? iv) Why did the lion behave that way? v) Ultimately, who became the dog’s master? 6

2.1 How the Dog found Himself a New Master! Ans: i) The two of them were walking along a path that ran amid bare cliffs. ii) The lion stopped suddenly. iii) The lion at first gave a great roar, then he struck his paw with a lot of force on the ground and finally he backed away quietly. iv) The lion was afraid of the man. He thought that if he saw them then he might harm or hurt them as he was stronger than the lion. v) Man became the master of dog. The dog realized that no one was stronger than the man and has been staying with him since then. 2.2 The Kite Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: As over tides Of wind it rides Climbs to the crest Of a gust and pulls, Then seems to rest As wind falls. i) What do the lines ‘Climbs to...... pulls’ mean? ii) What does the poet mean by the lines ‘Then seems……..falls’? iii) What does the word ‘gust’ mean? iv) Which word in the poem rhymes with the word ‘rest’? What does that mean? v) Where does the kite fly? Ans: i) By these lines the poet means that the kite flies to the top when the wind is strong and pulls the string as it moves up. ii) The poet tells us that the kite seems like taking a rest when the wind slows down. It simply floats in the air. iii) The word ‘gust’ means a wave of strong wind. iv) Crest rhymes with the word rest. It means the highest point. v) The kite flies over the tides of wind up in the sky. 7

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. We all have some true friends. True friends are those with whom we can share our secrets since we can trust them and feel safe. True friendship is where we don’t need to say our problems in words. True friends understand our emotional expressions. some friends remain our best friends throughout our life and can never be replaced by any other person or relation. This is the value of true friendship. 2. A true friend is one who always help you in all kinds of situations whether good or bad. Friendship is not limited to any particular age group. A person always needs a true friend in every stage of life. With the help and guidance of a true friend, you can easily overcome difficult situations. After parents, true friends are our real well-wishers. They can even scold us when we are wrong. 3. Bonding between two friends is just wonderful. Whether they live near or far their connection never breaks due to any misunderstanding or any communication gap. May be you have a list of many friends but the important part is how much true friends you have. Thinking of that time which was spent with friends always makes you feel joyful and emotional. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. True friends understand our ______________________________. b. ______________________________ is just wonderful. c. Thinking of the time spent with friends make you _________________________ Ans: a. Emotional expression b. Bonding between two friends c. emotional and joyful 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a.  Can we share our secrets with our friends? Why? b. How do friends help us to overcome difficult life situations? c. According to the passage, is it important to have lots of friends or few true friends? Ans: a. Since we can trust them and feel safe. b. With the help and guidance of a true friend, we can easily overcome difficult situations. c. It is important to have few true friends. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. Circumstances (Para 2) b. Attachment (Para 3) c. Happy (Para 3) Ans: a. Situations b. Bonding c. Joyful 8

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. In a small village, a little boy lived with his father and mother. He was the only son. The parents of the little boy were very unhappy because the boy used to get angry very soon and insult others with his words. He lost many friends because of that. His parents were really worried about him. They advised him many times to control his anger and develop kindness. But everything failed. Finally, the boy’s father came up with an idea. One day, he gave his son, a huge bag of nails. He asked his son to hammer one nail to the wooden fence, every time he becomes angry. The little boy accepted the task, so every time he became angry, he ran to the fence and hammered a nail. On the first day, he hammered 30 nails in the fence but over the next few days, he started finding it very dif- ficult and decided to control his anger. Finally, the day arrived when no nail was hammered. The boy did not become angry at all that day. This continued for the next several days. So one day, the father told him to remove the nails. When he pulled out the first nail, the father asked him pointing to a hole, “What do you see there?” The boy replied, “A hole in the fence!” He told the boy, “See you can remove the nails but the holes in the fence will remain. In the same way, angry words can harm people and cannot be easily forgotten. So we should use words for good purposes. Use them to grow relationships. Use them to show the love and kindness in your heart!” 1. Complete the following sentences. a. They advised him many times ______________________________________________ b. ______________________________________ really worried about him. c. In a small village, a little boy _______________________________________________ Ans: a. to control his anger and develop kindness. b. His parents were c. lived with his father and mother. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. What made the parents of the little boy unhappy? b. What did the parents advise the child? c. What did the boy see when he removed the first nail? Ans: a. The parents were unhappy because the boy used to get angry very soon and insult others with his words. b. They advised him many times to control his anger and develop kindness. c. When he removed the first nail, he saw a hole in the fence. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. very big    b. sad    c. guided Ans: a. huge b. unhappy c. advised 9

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You are Priya/Pritam. Your birthday falls on 16th December which happens to be after a month. Write a letter to your best friend who lives in Shimla, inviting him/her to come and join you for the birthday party. Mention all your plans for the day. (Word limit: 100-150 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear ‘Name of the friend’, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Value Points: A casual opening like “How are you? /I hope that you are doing well.” My birthday coming-Parents arranging a big party-come and be a part of this happy occasion-plans (shopping, remember the old days, will have fun together) Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency II. You are Sudha living at 42, Vivek Nagar, Bangalore. Write a letter to your friend Madhuri thanking her for sending you the notes for the classes, you have missed because of your illness. (Word limit: 100-150 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Madhuri, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Value points: Thank you for your help during my iIlness- I was very ill- not able to eat, sleep or walk properly- parents worried about my health and studies –because of your timely help, I will able to study and clear my exams-feeling confident-feeling better now-will be coming back to school very soon-you really are a true friend and I will always been thankful to you) Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency 10

3.1 Taro’s Reward Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Taro saw a beautiful little waterfall hidden behind a rock. Kneeling at a place where the water flowed quietly, he cupped a little in his hands and put it to his lips. Was it water? He tasted it again and again, and always it was the delicious sake instead of cold water. Taro quickly filled the pitcher he had with him and hurried home. The old man was delighted with the sake. After only one swallow of the liquid he stopped shivering and did a little dance in the middle of the floor. i) What did Taro see? ii) How did Taro drink water? iii) Why was he surprised? iv) What did he fill his pitcher with and why? v) Why was the old man delighted? Ans: i) Taro saw a beautiful little waterfall hidden behind a rock ii) He cupped a little water in his hands and drank it. iii) What he drank was not water but the delicious sake. This surprised him. iv) He filled his pitcher with sake because his old father wanted to drink it. v) The old man was delighted because Taro had got sake for him. Extract 2: The story of Taro and his magic waterfall reached the Emperor of Japan. He sent for the young woodcutter and rewarded him with twenty pieces of gold for having been so good and kind. Then he named the most beautiful fountain in the city after Taro. This, said the Emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents. i) Which story reached the Emperor of Japan? ii) Who sent for the young woodcutter? iii) What did he reward the woodcutter with and why? iv) What did he name after Taro? v) Why did he do so? Ans: i) The story of the magical waterfall had reached the Emperor of Japan. ii) The king had sent for the woodcutter. iii) He rewarded the woodcutter with twenty pieced of gold for being so good and kind. iv) He named the most beautiful fountain in the city after Taro. v) The Emperor wanted to encourage the children to honour and obey their parents by setting Taro as an example. 11

3.2 The Quarrel Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: I quarrelled with my brother I don’t know what about, One thing led to another And somehow we fell out. The start of it was slight, The end of it was strong. He said he was right, I knew he was wrong! i) Who does ‘I’ in the stanza refer to? ii) Name the poet of this poem. iii) Does the poet remember the real reason for the fight? iv) What does ‘fell out’ in the stanza mean? v) What do the lines ‘The start……. was strong’ mean? Ans: i) ‘I’ in the stanza refers to the poet. ii) The poet of this poem is Eleanor Farjeon. iii) No, the poet does not remember the real reason for the fight. iv) It means that the poet and her brother started to quarrel. v) It means that the fight in the beginning was small but later became big. 12

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. Once, there was an old man who had four sons. All four of them were very lazy. One day, the old man fell sick and was counting his last days in bed. He worried a lot about his sons’ future as the young men hesitated a lot to work. The sons believed that luck would favour them. The old man’s health deteriorated every day and he decided to talk to his sons about their future. However, his sons did not listen to him. 2. Finally, the old man decided to play a trick to let his sons realize the importance of work. He called all his sons and let them sit near him on his bed. He said that he had a treasure box with gold coins and expensive gems for them and wanted to share the treasure equally among the four of them. 3. The young men were very happy and asked where his father had placed the treasure. The old man replied, “I cannot exactly remember the place where I have hidden the treasure. However, the treasure box is buried in our land. I’m really not sure about the place where I have hidden the treasure box.” Even though the lazy young sons were happy, they were sad that the old man had forgotten the place where the treasure was hidden. After a few days, the old man died. The sons decided to dig the land to find the treasure box. 4. They worked very hard and dug their land. They could not find any treasure box in the land. Finally, they decided to dig a spot in their land that was a bit different from the rest of the area. The sons believed that the treasure was buried in that spot. They dug the specific spot deeply, but got nothing but water. 5. A passer-by who noticed the land and the water flowing from the spot talked to the sons about farming. Upon his advice, the four sons sowed vegetable seeds, and planted greens and flowering plants in their land. Since the land was very fertile with abundant water, within a few weeks, it became a fertile garden with nutritious vegetables and greens. The four sons sold the vegetables at a good price and earned a good amount of money. Then they realised that it was hard work that was referred to as ‘Treasure Box’ by their father. Gradually, the four sons overcame their laziness, worked hard, earned more money and lived happily. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. The old man’s health deteriorated every day, ___________________________________ b. _________________________________________ to find the treasure box. c. The four sons sold _____________________________________ a good amount of money. Ans: a. and he decided to talk to his sons about the importance of hard work the importance of hard work. b. the sons decided to dig the land c. the vegetables at a good price and earned 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a.  Why was the old man worried about his sons? b. What did the old man tell his sons when they asked about the place where he had hidden the treasure? c. How did the sons act upon the advice of the passer-by? Ans: a. The old man worried about his sons because they were lazy and hesitated to do a lot to work. b. The old man said that he could not exactly remember the place where he had hidden the treasure. c. Upon his advice, the four sons sowed vegetable seeds, and planted greens and flowering plants in their land. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. become worse (Paragraph 1) b. costly (Paragraph 2) c. agriculture (Paragraph 5) Ans: a. deteriorated b. expensive c. farming 13

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. One beautiful spring day, a red rose blossomed in a forest. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, “What a beautiful flower! I wish I was that lovely.” Another tree said, “Dear pine, do not be sad. We cannot have everything.” The rose turned and remarked, “It seems that I am the most beautiful flower in this forest. A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, “Why do you say that? In this forest, there are many beautiful flowers. You are just one of them.” The red rose replied, “That is not true, every flower looks at me and admires me.” Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, “Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!” The pine tree said, “Red rose, you have thorns too.” The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, “You cannot compare my thorns to that of the cactus.” “What a proud flower,” thought the trees. The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like “This plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neigh- bour.” The cactus never got upset. Spring passed and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as there was no rain. The red rose began to lose its life. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds were getting water from the cactus. “Does it not hurt when they make holes?” asked the rose. “Yes, but the cactus does not like to see the birds suffer. You can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help.” replied the pine. The red rose felt too ashamed to ask for water from the cactus, but finally it did ask for help. The cactus kind- ly agreed. The birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose plant. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. When the red rose blossomed in the forest, the pine tree wished that ___________________________ ___________________ b. The rose was puzzled when he saw ______________________________________________ c. The rose after getting help from the cactus learnt that_________________________ Ans: a. he was as lovely as the rose. b. sparrows sticking their beaks into the cactus and flying away, refreshed. c. we should never judge anyone by their appearance. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. What did the pine tree say when a red rose blossomed in the forest? b. How did the cactus react when the rose insulted him? c.  What made life difficult in the forest? Ans: a. The pine tree said “What a beautiful flower! I wish I was that lovely.” b. The cactus never got upset. c. Life became difficult since the spring had passed and the weather had become very warm. There was no rain. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following. a. bloomed    b. praises    c. living next-door Ans: a. blossomed b. admires c. neighbour 14

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You are Abhinav living at 23, Vivek Nagar, Bangalore. Write a letter to your friend Manoj describing your first airplane journey and describe what all you saw and felt. (Word limit: 100-150 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Manoj, Yours Lovingly, Name) Value Points: boarded the plane for the first time-going to Nainital to meet grandparents during vaca- tion-very excited-put on the seat belts-plane started flying- everything looking tiny soon-soon on the top of the clouds-everything white outside-in no time reached the destination-wonderful experience Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency II. You are Abhinav living at 23, Vivek Nagar, Bangalore. Write a letter to your grandmother wishing her a happy 60th birthday. (Word limit: 100-150 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Grandma, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Content (wishing you happy birthday-missing you on this occasion-wanted to be with you-write to me how you celebrated-I pray to God to keep you hale and hearty-have bought a present for you-again many happy returns of the day-visit soon) Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency 15

4.1 An Indian-American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Chawla’s first space mission in the space shuttle Columbia was 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes long. During this time she went around the earth 252 limes, travelling 10.45 million kilometres! The crew included a Japa- nese and a Ukranian astronaut. The crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space, and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips—all for a price tag of about $ 56 million. i) How long was Chawla’s first space mission? ii) How many times did she go around the earth in the space shuttle? iii) How long did she travel? iv) Name the experiments performed by the crew. v) Find a word in the passage having the same meaning as ‘a group of persons working together in a ship or spacecraft’. Ans: i) Chawla’s first space mission lasted for 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes. ii) She went 252 times around the earth in the space shuttle. iii) She travelled 10.45 million kilometres. iv) The crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space and tests for mak- ing stronger metals and faster computer chips. v) Crew Extract 2: For millions of young Indians, the story of Kalpana Chawla, a girl from a small town who touched the skies, had become an inspiration. In a message that she sent from aboard the space shuttle Columbia to students of her college in Chandigarh, Kalpana said : “The path from dreams to success does exist May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it……. Wishing you a great journey.” There will surely be many who start off on this journey to fulfil their dreams. i) Who was inspired by the story of Kalpana Chawla? ii) What message did she send to the students of her college in Chandigarh? (Given in Kalpana’s words.) iii) Where did she send the message from? iv) Where was Kalpana Chawla from? v) Who touched the sky? Ans: i) The story of Kalpana Chawla has become an inspiration for millions of young Indians. ii) In her message she said, “the path from dreams to success does exist. May they have the vision to find it and the courage to get onto it”. She wished them to have a great journey, towards their path to success. iii) She sent the message from aboard the space shuttle Columbia. iv) Kalpana Chawla belonged to a small town in Haryana. v) Kalpana Chawla touched the sky. 16

4.2 Beauty Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Beauty is in yourself. Good deeds, happy thoughts That repeat themselves In your dreams, In your work, And even in your rest i) Where does the poet find beauty? ii) According to the poet, which are the things that keep repeating themselves? iii) Where are these things repeated? iv) How do we feel when we see or hear things of beauty? Ans: i) According to the poet, beauty lies in ourselves. ii) Good deeds and happy thoughts repeat themselves. iii) They are repeated in our dreams, in our work and even when we our resting. iv) We feel happy and peaceful when we see or hear things of beauty. 17

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. Trees are a most precious gift of nature. They are our best friend because they create a friendly envi- ronment on earth for a healthy life. Trees grow in varied geographical areas and climates. Trees grow in deserts, mountains and plains, and on the banks of water bodies. Likewise, trees grow in areas of hot, cold and rainy climates. 2. Every region has its native tree species that are most suited to the ecosystem of the place. When new trees are planted in a place, it is best to plant the native tree species of the place. There are trees that grow to a great height, while there are some that are even dwarfs. Trees are classified according to dif- ferent characteristics. Trees may belong to flowering or non-flowering categories. Flowering trees may bloom once or more than once in a year. There are some unique trees like the Kurinji that bloom once in twelve years. Trees are also classified as evergreen and deciduous. While evergreen ones stay green through the year, deciduous ones shed their leaves and turn bare during a particular season each year. 3. Trees take in carbon-dioxide and give out oxygen as a result of the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, trees refill the levels of oxygen in the air that is so vital for us to breathe and stay alive. They also control the levels of carbon-dioxide in the air. It is when carbon-dioxide levels rise dangerously high that the temperature of the atmosphere increases causing global warming and climate change. Trees and for- ests, thus, play an important role in preventing dangerous incidences like global warming and climate change. 4. They also make spaces around us beautiful. Landscapes are pleasing because of the trees that grow in them. Edible tree parts also make for man’s food. Trees also provide food and shelter to wildlife. Trees play a major role in maintaining ecological balance. Forests are also useful in maintaining the rainfall that keep water bodies well-fed by rains. Trees must, therefore, be protected. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. Landscapes are pleasing because __________________________________________ b. Trees are classified according ______________________________________ c. __________________________ give out oxygen as a result of the process of photosynthesis. Ans: a. of the trees that grow in them. b. to different characteristics. c. Trees take in carbon-dioxide and 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a.  In what way are trees our best friends? b. What should we keep in mind while planting new trees in a place? c. Give one difference between the evergreen and the deciduous trees as mentioned in the passage. Ans: a. Trees are our best friend because they create a friendly environment on earth for a healthy life. b. When new trees are planted in a place, it is best to plant the native tree species of the place. c. While evergreen ones stay green through the year, deciduous ones shed their leaves and turn bare during a particular season each year. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. valuable (Paragraph 1) b. features (Paragraph 2) c. eatable (Paragraph 4) Ans: a. precious b. characteristics c. edible 18

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink. All constructed boats and left, except for Love. 2. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?” Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.” 3. Love decided to ask Pride who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Pride, please help me!” “I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Pride answered. Sadness also passed close by, so Love asked, “Sadness, let me go with you.” “Oh … Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!” 4. Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way. 5. Realizing how much she owed to the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me?” “It was Time,” Knowledge answered. “Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?” Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, “Because only Time is capable of understanding how valu- able Love is.” 1. Complete the following sentences. a. Love wanted to hold out __________________________________________ b. ________________________________________ Love in a grand boat. c. When the island had almost sunk, ____________________________________ Ans: a. until the last possible moment. b. Richness was passing by. c. Love decided to ask for help. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. What was one day announced to the feelings and what did they do? b. Why didn’t happiness pay heed to Love when Love called her? c.  Why did Time decide to extend help to Love? Ans: a. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink. All constructed boats and left, except for Love. b. Happiness was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. c. Only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same as the following. a. Extraordinary (Paragraph 2) b. Extremely happy (Paragraph 4) c. Precious (Paragraph 5) Ans: a. grand b. overjoyed c. wisdom 19

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You are Seema staying at Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi. Write a letter to your pen friend Madhuri, telling her about your recent trip to a historical place (any one of your choice) and how you were fascinated by the beauty of the monuments. Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Madhuri, Yours Lovingly, Name) Content (last month went to Agra-saw the Taj Mahal-made of white marble-was impressed-four minarets adding to its beauty-grassy lawns looking beautiful-looked beautiful in the moonlight-unforgettable experience) Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency II. Examine the following picture and write a composition in 100 words. Ans: FORMAT (Title), CONTENT (Organisation of ideas), Expression (Grammar and Vocabulary) Content Points: TWO BIRDS IN MY BACKYARD • have two pretty sparrows-living in a shady tree in my backyard-free to fly from branch to branch. • Safe from the cat as the whole tree is inside a walled place-nailed a wooden box on the tree-their ‘nest’ where they sleep at night and find shelter whenever it rains. • Call them Meeta and Geeta-enjoy flying about among the branches and chirp happily all day long-feed them grains and kept a bowl of water-also clean their ‘nest’. • Pretty birds-like to watch their movements-so cheerful and lively-never feel dull spending my time with them-love them. 20

5.1 A Different Kind of School Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: When I arrived, there was no one in sight but a girl of about twelve. Her eyes were covered with a bandage and she was being led carefully between the flowerbeds by a little boy, who was about four years younger. She stopped, and it looked like she asked him who had come. He seemed to be describing me to her. Then they passed on. Miss Beam was all that I had expected—middle-aged, full of authority, yet kindly and understanding. Her hair was beginning to turn grey, and she had the kind of plump figure that is likely to be contorting to a homesick child. I asked her some questions about her teaching methods, which I had heard were simple. i) What were the girl’s eyes covered with? ii) Who was leading the girl? iii) Who was the boy describing? iv) Describe Miss Beam. v) What did the author ask Miss Beam? Ans: i) The girl’s eyes were covered with a bandage. ii) A little boy who was four years younger to the girl was leading her. iii) The boy was describing the author to the little girl. iv) Miss Beam was a middle-aged woman. She was full of authority, yet kindly and understanding. v) The author asked her some questions about her teaching methods. Extract 2: Miss Beam led me to one of the bandaged girls. “Here’s a gentleman come to talk to you.” said Miss Beam and left us. “Don’t you ever peep?” I asked the girl. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “That would be cheating! But I had no idea it was so awful to be blind. You can’t see a thing. You feel you are going to be hit by something every moment It’s such a relief just to sit down.” “Are your helpers kind to you?” I asked. “Fairly, but they are not as careful as I shall be when it is my turn. Those that have been blind already are the best helpers. It’s perfectly ghastly not to see. I wish you’d try.” i) Where did Miss Beam lead the author to? ii) What did Miss Beam tell the girl? iii) What did the author ask the girl? iv) What did the girl say? v) Who are the best helpers according to the girl? Ans: i) Miss Beam led the author to one of the bandaged girls. ii) Miss Beam told the girl that there was a gentleman who wanted to talk to her. iii) The author asked the girl, if she ever peeped. iv) The girl told the author that she never peeped as that would have been considered cheating. v) According to the girl, those who had already been blind before were the best helpers. 21

5.2 Where Do All the Teachers Go? Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Do they live with other people Have they mums and dads? And were they ever children And were they ever bad? Did they ever, never spell right Did they ever make mistakes? Were they punished in the corner If they pinched the chocolate flakes i) Who does ‘they’ refer to? ii) Name any two things that the poet wants to know. iii) Give any one reason the poet could be punished in his childhood. iv) Write all the words that rhyme in the above stanza. Ans: i) ‘They’ refer to the teachers. ii) The poet wants to know if his teachers were ever children and if they were ever bad. iii) The poet wonders if his teachers were ever punished and made to stand in the corner if they stole chocolate flakes. iv) Dad-bad and mistakes-flakes 22

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. Once upon a time, there lived a very rich and wealthy man in a big town. He led a luxurious life. He always boasted about his wealth to his friends and relatives. 2. His son was studying in a distant city and he returned home for vacation. The rich man wanted to show off to his son how rich he was. But his son wasn’t fond of any luxurious lifestyle. However, the rich man wanted to make his son realize that his lifestyle was extremely rich and that poor people suffered a lot. He planned a day’s visit to the entire town to show him the life of the poor people. The father and the son took a big car and visited the entire town. They returned home after two days. The father was happy that his son was very quiet after seeing the poor people paying respect to the rich man and after seeing the sufferings of the poor due to lack of facilities. 3. The rich man asked his son, “Dear boy, how was the trip? Have you enjoyed it?” “Yes my dad, it was a great trip with you,” the son replied. “So, what did you learn from the trip?” the father asked. The son was silent. “Finally you have realized how the poor suffer and how they actually live,” said the father. 4. “No father,” replied the son. He added, “We have only two dogs, they have 10 dogs. We have luxurious and expensive lights, but they have countless stars lighting their nights. We have a house on a small piece of land, but they have rich fields that go beyond the horizon. We are protected by huge and strong walls around our property, but they bond with each other and surround themselves with their fellow beings. We have to buy food from them, but they are so rich that they can cultivate their own food.” 5. The rich father was shocked and speechless, on hearing his son’s words. Finally the son added, “Dad, thank you so much for showing me who is rich and who is poor. Thank you for letting me understand how poor we really are!” 1. Complete the following sentences. a. He always boasted about ____________________________________________ b. __________________________________________ and visited the entire town. c. His son was studying in a distant city___________________________________ Ans: a. his wealth to his friends and relatives. b. The father and the son took a big car c. and he returned home for vacation 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a.  What did the father want his son to realise? b. What did the father plan to show him the life of the poor people? c. How did the father react after hearing his son’s response? Ans: a. The father wanted to make his son realize that his lifestyle was extremely rich and that poor people suf- fered a lot. b. He planned a day’s visit to the entire town to show him the life of the poor people. c. The father was shocked and speechless. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following. 23 a. Showed off (Paragraph 1) b. far off (Paragraph 2) c. grow (Paragraph 4) Ans: a. boasted b. distant c. cultivate

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 1. Libraries are buildings filled with stacks of books and resources. Modern day libraries also consist of elec- tronic resources. Libraries offer wealth of knowledge, resources, space and environment to discover the world of books and enjoy studying or just reading for pleasure. The benefits of libraries are countless. They play a vital role in helping people by providing access to information and knowledge. 2. Libraries provide materials in all formats such as books, periodicals, magazines, videos, audios and digital media. Libraries are designed to meet the needs of learners’ community. Whether in education- al or public library, people benefit from the assistance of librarians and staff members. There is head librarian in every library and a team of professional staff who helps people to find books as per their interest. Libraries are always classified by trained staff to meet the needs of the community. Libraries have positive impact on the development of our society. They open a world of books and resources of information and knowledge to people for free. 3. Libraries require lot of staff and a large building to house various books and resources. It becomes re- ally expensive to maintain libraries and the library staff. So sometimes less money is spent on libraries. Since a wide range of books and resources are to be maintained and updated in old libraries, the useful resources may be limited due to the time it takes to update. So, the libraries may not sometimes have access to the current information. Some books and magazines may not be available in every library. 4. Some argue that there is technology to read online and do research so what is the need to visit library. Yet libraries have served the communities since centuries by providing original and quality resources. People who have the habit of visiting and using libraries understand the value and importance of li- braries. In addition to it, there are people who love reading but cannot afford to buy many books and resources. They can get easy access to valuable resources in libraries. 1. Complete the following sentences. a. Libraries are buildings filled with _____________________________________. b. The head librarian and the other library help the people to find ______________ c. Some books and magazines may _____________________________________. Ans: a. stacks of books and resources. b. to find books as per their interest. c. not be available in every library. 2. Answer the following questions in a sentence each. a. How do libraries play a vital role in helping people? b. What different formats of material are provided by the libraries? c. How do libraries help those people who love reading but cannot afford to buy many books? Ans: a. They play a vital role in helping people by providing access to information and knowledge. b. Libraries provide materials in all formats such as books, periodicals, magazines, videos, audios and digi- tal media. c. People who love reading but cannot afford to buy many books and resources. Can get easy access to valuable resources in libraries. 3. Find suitable words from the passage which mean the same to the following. 24 a. Important (Paragraph 1) b. Costly (Paragraph 3) c. Up-to-date (paragraph 3) Ans: a. vital b. expensive c. current

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. Study the following picture and compose a passage in 100-120 words. Ans: Format (Title) Value Points: camping trip-went on Saturday-got a small bag-packed shirts, pants, hat and everything we need- ed for the trip-school bus arrived to pick us up-arrived at our destination-the jungle- the trees stood tall-green grass- found a place to set up our tents on-walked through the forest-camp fire-ate grilled food-played dumb charade and many other games- feel really happy. Focus on content and expression, accuracy and fluency II. You have received a set of encyclopedia from your cousin Rahul on your birthday as a present. Write a letter thanking him for the present and telling him how you value this present. (Word limit: 100-120 words) Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Rahul, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Content (received a parcel from your side-thrilled to see the encyclopedia set-will help me to enhance my knowl- edge-gather information-thank you for your thoughtfulness-the most beautiful gift received on my birthday- birthday party was great-I wish you were also there- your gift will always remain close to my heart-Once again, thank you so much-with love) Expression (Vocabulary and Grammar) 25

6.1 Who I Am Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Rohit: If I had a huge amount of money I would travel and travel. I want to see the mountains of New Zealand because they looked beautiful in a magazine picture. I wish I could sail down the Amazon river in South America on a raft. I want to live on the beaches of Lakshadweep in India and dive down to see coral. I suppose I should go to the Konark temple in Orissa or the old city in Beijing in China and the Pyramids in Egypt too, but what I actually enjoy is seeing nature more than old buildings. i) What would Rohit do if he had a huge amout of money? ii) Why does Rohit want to see the mountains of New Zealand? iii) How does Rohit want to sail down the Amazon river? iv) Where does Rohit want to live? v) What does Rohit enjoy seeing? Ans: i) Rohit would travel to different places if he had a huge amount of money. ii) Rohit wants to see the mountains of New Zealand because they look beautiful in pictures. iii) Rohit wants to sail down the Amazon river on a raft. iv) Rohit wants to live on the beaches of Lakshadweep in India. v) Rohit enjoys seeing nature more than old buildings. Extract 2: Dolma: When I grow up, I am going to be the Prime Minister of India. People always laugh when I say that, but I am sure that I will do it. Everyone in my class asks me what to do when they have a problem, and my teacher always trusts me when something needs to be done in school. I want to make things better for everyone. I want to have good hospitals and roads and schools. I want to make sure that there are many good scientists in India who will invent cures for diseases and send a spaceship to Mars. i) What was the reaction of the people when Dolma said that she wanted to become the Prime Minister of India? ii) What does everyone in Dolma’s class do when they have a problem? iii) Who trusts Dolma and why? iv) What does Dolma want to ensure? v) What will the scientists do? Ans: i) People laugh when Dolma expresses her wish to become the Prime Minister of India. ii) Everyone in Dolma’s class ask her what to do when they have a problem. iii) Dolma’s teachers trust her because she is a responsible student. iv) Dolma wants to make sure that there are many good scientists in India. v) The scientists will invent cures for diseases and send a spaceship to Mars. 26

6.2 The Wonderful Words Extract 1: Words are the food and dress of thought They give it its body and swing And everyone’s longing today to hear Some fresh and beautiful thing; But only words can free a thought From its prison behind your eyes May be your mind is holding now A marvellous new surprise! i) Why does the poet say that words are the food and dress of a thought? ii) What is everyone longing to hear today? iii) What do the lines ‘But only words……. your eyes’ mean? iv) What according to the poet is our mind holding? v) Give synonyms of the word ‘marvellous’. Ans: i) Words give body and form to our thoughts and makes them clear and beautiful. Knowing a language helps express ourselves better. ii) People are longing to hear fresh thoughts and ideas. iii) In these lines, the poet emphasizes the importance of words. She says that only words can help us free the thoughts that are captured or hidden in our mind by giving them a concrete form. iv) Our mind is perhaps holding a beautiful, new thought. v) Excellent, wonderful 27

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Watching through the glass pane of the bus, I felt warm and cozy. I was on a trip to Nepal. In my opinion, this trip would have provided me huge opportunities to launch my career as a journalist. It was New Year’s Eve and the festive spirit was in the air. Even Mother Nature was in a mood to celebrate. The cone shaped pine and fir trees were covered with a thick blanket of snow. 2. The small mountain kingdom of Nepal sharing its border with India, earns fame for the mighty Mt. Everest. The tallest peak in the world has become as one of the peak tourist destinations in the world. With the advancements in the modes of trekking, climbing it is no more unbeatable. Even today it attracts number of mountain climbers to scale its height from all over the world. The snow clad mountain towers majestically into the blue sky above and ends up tearing the clouds in the heaven. It is a sight that drives most people awestruck with delight. 3. Nepal, mainly a Buddhist community, boasts about one of the world’s most advanced and at the same time one of the oldest civilisations. The people of Nepal have a great sense of pride and prestige in their culture. The Nepalese traditions and beliefs have remained unchanged since the time Buddha and Mahavira began spreading their faith and beliefs. Unlike us, they have done everything to preserve their culture from the spreading influence of western culture. 4. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal has some beautiful ancient Buddhist monasteries and modern skyscrapers. A city based on foreign trade, a pleasant hill station gifted with scenic beauty, Kathmandu is an ideal place to spend your vacation in. It is a city full of light-hearted people. Its market is flooded with luxury goods of quality as high as that of the advanced countries in the west. 5. During my visit to Nepal, I had already visited Kathmandu and was on my way to Mt. Everest. I had a camera with me but I didn’t know whether we were allowed a photo shoot. That night I had to spend inside the bus. Analysing the current situation, I decided to take a stroll outside. I wandered up to a high cliff which was about 20000 feet above the normal ground. 6. Even though it was night, the pale moon and the twinkling stars brightly lit the sky. I was able to get a good look of the snowy slopes covered with the greenery of the cones of pine and spruce trees. I was so impressed by this God’s creation that I took my diary to write something about it. Suddenly the sky was lit with a huge explosion that forced me to take one or two steps behind. I saw an amazing display of fireworks that sent me into a tizzy. Realizing that it was past midnight and hence the beginning of the New Year, I was captivated by the awesome sight that was created when man and God worked in such a beautiful arrangement. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. Mt. Everest, the tallest peak in the world ________________________________. b. People of Nepal have done everything to ________________________________. c. ___________________ some beautiful ancient Buddhist monasteries and modern skyscrapers. Ans: a. has become as one of the peak tourist destinations in the world. b. preserve their culture from the spreading influence of western culture. c. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal has 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. What encouraged the author to go for a trip to Nepal? b. What image is drawn by the author to prove that even nature was in a mood to celebrate? c. What makes Kathmandu an ideal place to spend your vacation in? d. What was the explosion which author saw in the sky towards the end of the passage? Ans: a. This trip would have provided him huge opportunities to launch his career as a journalist. b. The cone shaped pine and fir trees were covered with a thick blanket of snow. c. A city based on foreign trade, a pleasant hill station gifted with scenic beauty, Kathmandu is an ideal place to spend your vacation in. d. amazing display of fireworks 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: c. outburst (Para 6) a. Cheerful (Para 1) b. high-rise buildings (Para 4) c. explosion Ans: a. festive   b. skyscrapers   28

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Once upon a time there was a woman who had only one son. She was very old and feeble so every day her son had to go to the store-house to fetch the meal. One day, as he was leaving the store-house with a bag of meal on his back, up came the wind puffing and blowing. He caught up the bag of meal and away he went with it, through the air. The boy went back into the store-house for more; but when he came out again, the wind carried off the meal again. He did so the third time and the same thing happened. 2. At this, the boy became very angry and made up his mind to go and see the wind, so that he might ask him to give his meal back. The way was long and he walked and walked but at last he came to the wind’s house. ‘Good-day,’ said the boy, ‘and thank you for coming to see us yesterday.’ ‘Good-day,’ answered the wind. The boy said to the wind, ‘I only wished to ask you to give me back the meal which you took from me yesterday. You see we haven’t much to live on, and if you snap up the little that we have, we shall starve without a doubt.’ 3. ‘I haven’t got your meal,’ declared the wind. ‘However, if you are in such a need, here is a cloth which will provide everything you want if you only say, “Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes!” The boy was very well pleased at this. As the way back home was long and he could not reach there in one day, he turned into an inn for the night. When he was going to sit down for the supper, he laid the cloth on a table in the corner and said, ‘Cloth, spread yourself and serve up all kinds of good dishes!’ 4. He had scarcely spoken when the table was covered with splendid food of every kind. The inn-keeper’s wife, in the middle of the night when everyone was fast asleep, took the boy’s cloth and put another just like it, in its place. The boy woke up and left for his place. When he reached home, said he, ‘I’ve been to the wind’s house. A good fellow he is too, for he gave me this cloth. When I say to it, “Cloth, spread yourself and serve up all kinds of good dishes!” it provides any sort of food I want, ‘All very true I dare say,’ said his mother ‘but I shall not believe it till I see it.’ 5. So the boy made haste, laid the cloth on the table and said, ‘Cloth, spread yourself and serve up all kinds of good dishes! ‘Yet never a bit of dry bread did the cloth serve up. ‘Did I not say that seeing is believing?’ said the boy’s mother. ‘Well, there’s no help for it but to go to the wind again,’ said the boy and away he went. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. The mother was so old and feeble that her son had _________________________. b. The way back home was so long that _________________________. c. _________________________ when the table was covered with splendid food of every kind. Ans: a. to go to the store-house to fetch the meal. b. the son had to stay in an inn for the night. c. The boy had scarcely spoken 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why did the boy become angry? b. What was the gift given by the wind to the boy? c. What happened to the gift given by the wind? d. What happened when the boy asked the cloth to deliver food when he reached his mother’s home? Ans: a. The boy became angry because every time he came with the meal, the wind came and carried off his meal again and again. b. A cloth which will provide everything he wanted if he only said, “Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes!” c. The inn-keeper’s wife, in the middle of the night when everyone was fast asleep, took the boy’s cloth and put another just like it, in its place. d. Not even a bit of dry bread did the cloth serve up. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: c. rush (Para 5) a. Physically weak (Para 1) b. go short of food (Para 2) c. haste Ans: a. feeble   b. starve   29

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. Write a composition to describe a busy street scene in 100-120 words. Ans: Format (An appropriate title: A busy street) Content (VALUE POINTS: live in a big locality in Bangalore-several busy streets-busiest is Milton street-early morning-traffic-crowds of pedestrians, shoppers and others can be seen walking along the pavements-noise of cars and autos or bikes-number of vehicles zooming past-traffic lights-ladies with children-await an opportuni- ty to cross the road-bright and happy scene-variety of textile shops, departmental stores, restaurants, electrical goods shops, pavement stalls with small items-vendors attracting customers to buy their wares-delicious aro- ma of Oriental delicacies floating in the air-tempting passers-by to stop for some refreshment-evening-crowds grow bigger-office workers-time to go home-crowds gradually disappear as evening approaches-darkness be- gins to creep in-night snacks at the various food stalls and restaurants -sea of lights-liveliest street, busy all day long and into the night.) Expression (Vocabulary and Grammar) II. Write a composition to describe how teachers’ day is celebrated in your school in 100-120 words. Ans: Format (An appropriate title: Teachers’ day celebration in our school) Content (VALUE POINTS: Teachers’ day celebrated on 5th September every year in all schools-day to honour teachers-guide us in our education-very much a part of a student’s life-influence us-prepare the child for his or her life in society-held to show our appreciation-students bring gifts of flowers, presents and other tokens-function is held-performances for entertaining the teachers-good time and the day ends earlier than usual-play an important role-appreciated and honoured for their deeds) Expression (Vocabulary and Grammar) 30

7.1 Fair Play Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Jumman had an old aunt who had some property. This she transferred to him on the understanding that she would stay with him and he would look after her. The arrangement worked well for a couple of years. Then the situation changed. Jumman and his family were tired of the old relative. Jumman became as indifferent to her as his wife, who grudged even the little food that the old lady wanted everyday. She swallowed these insults along with her food for a few months. But patience has its limits. i) Who had transferred the property and to whom? ii) What was the agreement? iii) How long did the arrangement work well? iv) Why did the situation change? v) How did Jumman’s wife treat the old aunt? Ans: i) Jumman’s aunt had transferred her property to Jumman. ii) The agreement was that Jumman’s aunt would stay with him and he would look after her. iii) The arrangement worked well for a couple of years. iv) The situation changed because Jumman’s family got tired of the old lady. v) She treated the old aunt indifferently. She gave her food unwillingly. Extract 2: The panchayat was held under the old banyan tree. Algu stood up and said, “The voice of the Ponch is the voice of God. Let Sahu nominate the head Ranch. I will abide by his decision.” Sahu saw his chance and proposed the name of Jumman. Algu’s heart sank and he turned pale. But what could he do? The moment Jumman became head Ranch, he realised his responsibility as the judge and the dignity of his office. Could he, seated in that high place, have his revenge now? He thought and thought. No, he must not allow his personal feelings to come in the way of speaking the truth and doing justice. i) Where was the panchayat held? ii) Who was asked to nominate the head panch? iii) Whom did Sahu nominate? iv) When did Jumman realise the dignity of the office? v) What should not come in the way of truth and justice? Ans: i) The panchayat was held under the old banayan tree. ii) Sahu was asked to nominate the head panch. iii) Sahu proposed the name of Jumman. iv) Jumman realized the dignity of the office of the Ranch after he was nominated the head Ranch. v) Personal feeling should not come in the way of truth and justice. 31

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. One day, two cranes stood by a lake. The lake was full of big fish. It was the breeding season and a large number of fish had arrived to that part of the lake. The two cranes had seen a very big fish and they wanted to catch it. For a long time, they watched its movements. 2. Then, one of the cranes caught it by its head. But the fish was very heavy and she could not pull it out of the water. She needed help. The other crane helped her. She caught hold of the fish by its tail and both of them pulled it out. They decided to divide the fish among themselves. They were about to cut the fish when the first crane said, “I had caught the fish. Therefore I should get a larger part of it.” The other crane said, “No, I should get a larger part because I helped you to pull it out.” Soon, both of them started quarrelling. 3. A jackal had been watching all this. Actually, he had also come to the lakeside to catch a fish. His wife had expressed a desire to eat fish. The jackal had been sitting on the bank of the lake and thinking of a plan to catch a fish. When he saw the cranes quarrelling among themselves over fish, he thought, “The foolish cranes are quarrelling over their catch. If I go and act as their judge, I will be able to get hold of the big fish. My wife will be happy to see such a big fish.” So, he walked up to the cranes and said, “Dear cranes, I have been watching you quarrel over a fish. Can I help you in any way?” 4. The cranes said, “Please help us decide who should get the larger share.” Then they explained to him how they had caught the fish together. The jackal pretended. to be deep in thought. Then he said to the first crane, “You caught the fish by the head. So you should get the head.” He cut away the head of the fish and gave it to the first crane. 5. Then he turned to the second crane and said, “You caught the fish by its tail. Therefore you should get the tail.” He cut the tail of the fish and gave it to her. The two cranes thought that the jackal would equally divide the body of the fish between them. However, he said, “Now I have acted as your judge. I want my fees. I am taking the body of the fish as my fees.” So saying, he picked up the fish and ran away. He reached home and gave the fish to his wife. His wife prepared a tasty fish curry and both of them enjoyed the curry together. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. The cranes were watching the movements of the fish because _________________________. b. The cranes started quarrelling with each other since _________________________. c. When the jackal saw the cranes quarrelling over the share of fish, he decided to _________________________. d. Jackal gave the fish to his wife and his wife prepared a _________________________. Ans: a. It was the breeding season and a large number of fish had arrived to that part of the lake. b. They were not able to divide the fish among themselves. c. go and act as their judge so that he would be able to get hold of the big fish. d. a tasty fish curry and both of them enjoyed the curry together. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why did the first crane need help and how did the second crane help her? b. Why had the jackal come to the lakeside? c. How did the jackal divide the fish among three including himself? d. What is the lesson which this story conveys to us? Ans: a. The fish was very heavy and she could not pull it out of the water. She needed help. The other crane helped her. She caught hold of the fish by its tail and both of them pulled it out. b. The jackal had also come to the lakeside to catch a fish. His wife has expressed a desire to eat fish. c. He cut away the head of the fish and gave it to the first crane and cut the tail of the fish and gave it to her. He took the body of the fish as his fees. d. People take advantage when they see someone quarrelling. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Conveyed (Para 3) b. faked (Para 4) c. delicious (Para 5) Ans: a. expressed   b. pretended   c. tasty 32

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. One day a powerful king and his beautiful wife were sitting in the garden of their beautiful palace. They were busy in a serious talk about the future life of their little son, who was sleeping by their side in his beautiful golden cradle. They had been married for many years without children, so when this baby came, they thought of themselves to be the happiest couple in the whole world. He was a fine sturdy little boy, who loved to kick and to strike out with his fists. The king and the queen were so engaged making plans for him, that they never noticed a huge dark shadow creeping up. Suddenly a horrible head with gleaming teeth stretched over them, and in an instant their beloved baby was snatched away. 2. For a while, the king and queen remained where they were, speechless with horror. Then the king rose slowly, and holding out his hand to his wife. He led her weeping into the palace, and for many days, their subjects saw no more of them. Meanwhile the dragon flew high into the air. He was holding the cradle between his teeth, and the baby still slept on. He flew so fast that he soon crossed the borders of another kingdom. He saw the king and queen of the country seated in the garden with a little girl lying in a wonderful cradle of white satin and lace. Leaping from behind as he had done before, he was just about to grab the cradle, when the king jumped up and gave him a blow with his golden staff. The dragon not only started back, but in his pain let fall the boy, as he spread his wings and soared into the air away from all danger. 3. ‘That was a narrow escape,’ said the king, turning to his wife, who sat pale with fright, and clasping her baby tightly in her arms. ‘Frightful,’ murmured the queen; ‘but look, what is that glittering object that is lying out there?’ The king walked in the direction of her finger, and to his astonishment beheld another cradle and another baby. 4. When the king bent down, he read some words that were written on the fine linen that was wound round the boy. ‘This is the son of Grethari, the king!’ Unfortunately it happened that the two neighbouring kings had had a serious quarrel, and for some years had ended holding communication with each other. So, instead of sending a messenger at once to Grethari to tell him of the safety of his son, the king contented himself with adopting the baby, which was brought up. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from the passage. a. “They never noticed a huge dark shadow creeping up.” Here this huge dark shadow refers to __________. b. “What is that glittering object that is lying out there?” Here the glittering object refers to ____________. c. As the dragon was about to grab the cradle, ________________________________. Ans: a. the dragon. b. the cradle with another baby. c. the king jumped up and gave him a blow with his golden staff. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. Why were the king and the queen not able to notice the huge dark shadow creeping up? b. What kind of baby was the prince? c. ‘That was a narrow escape,’ said the king. Why is it being called a narrow escape? d. Why didn’t the king return the son of Grethari, the king? Ans: a. They were busy in a serious talk about the future life of their little son, who was sleeping by their side in his beautiful golden cradle. b. He was a fine sturdy little boy, who loved to kick and to strike out with his fists. c. They narrowly escaped from the dragon which tried to steal the girl child as well, just like it did with the other baby. d. The two neighbouring kings had had a serious quarrel, and for some years had ended holding communi- cation with each other. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Shining (stanza 1) b. rod (stanza 2) c. made happy (stanza 4) Ans: a. Gleaming   b. staff   c. contended 33

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You have recently shifted to a hostel. Write a letter to your mother expressing your feelings and experience in the hostel. Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear mom, Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Content (VALUE POINTS: Always think of the sweet home- forgive me for not writing to you-too busy in my term tests- take my meals in the hostel mess-miss the delicious food prepared by you-food provided here is good and satisfactory-few friends here-enjoy games and studies-co-operative, friendly and nice-sometimes feel home- sick-Monu, my roommate-intelligent, sensible and sensitive-spend spare time together-do not worry about me- quite comfortable here-miss you all so much-shall be writing to you as often-take proper rest and medicines-give my love and regards to dad. Expression (Vocabulary and Grammar) II. Study the following picture and write an appropriate composition in 100-120 words. Ans: FORMAT (Title), CONTENT (Organisation of ideas), Expression Content Points: AN ADVENTURE TRIP TO A FOREST • Meera and Rahul walked through the thick forest surrounded by tall trees • Meera was walking in front of Rahul • heard a loud thud-shout for help-turned around but could not find Rahul • Found a huge hole in the ground-animal trap-quickly ran • Rahul’s voice coming-peeped in-got alarmed • Meera began to search for a way to get Rahul out of the trap-looked around and saw some creeper plants- made a rope--dropped one end into the hole and tied the other end around a thick tree trunk. • Grabbed-with much effort-managed to climb out of the hole. • Sat on the ground floor to eat, drink and rest 34

8.1 A Game of Chance Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Back home, uncle told me that the Lucky Shop man had made a fool of me. “No, Uncle,” I said, “it was just my bad luck.” “No, my boy,” said Uncle, “it was neither good luck nor bad luck.” “But Uncle,” I said, “I saw an old man getting a clock and a boy getting two or three costly things.” “You don’t know, child,” Uncle said, “they were all friends of the shopkeeper. They were playing tricks to tempt you to try your luck. They wanted your money and they got it. Now forget about it, and don’t tell anybody of your bad luck or your foolishness” i) What did Uncle tell the narrator when they were back home? ii) What was the explanation of the narrator? iii) Who were the other people winning costly things? iv) Why did they tempt the narrator to try his luck? v) What warning did uncle give to the narrator? Ans: i) Uncle told the narrator that the Lucky Shop man had made a fool out of him. ii) The narrator said that it was just his bad luck. iii) The people winning costly things were friends of the shopkeeper. iv) They tempted the narrator to try his luck in order to get his money. v) Uncle warned the narrator to not tell anybody about his bad luck or his foolishness. Extract 2: Bhaiya and I went from shop to shop. There were many things I would have liked to buy, but I waited for Uncle to return. Then we came to what was called the Lucky, Shop. The shopkeeper was neither young nor old. He was a middle-aged man. He seemed neither too smart nor too lazy. He wanted everybody to try their luck. There were discs on the table with numbers from one to ten facing down. All you had to do was to pay 50 paise, pick up any six discs, add up the numbers on the discs and find the total. The article marked with that number was yours. 35

8.1 A Game of Chance i) What did Bhaiya and the narrator do? ii) At which shop did they reach in the end? iii) Write two sentences about the shopkeeper. iv) What did he want? v) What was there on the table? Ans: i) The narrator and the Bhaiya went from one shop to another looking at things that were on display. ii) They reached the ‘Lucky Shop’ at last. iii) The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man. He was neither too smart nor too lazy. iv) The shopkeeper wanted everyone to come and try their luck in his shop. v) There were discs on the table with numbers from one to ten facing down. 36

8.2 Vocation Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: The watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at his side, and never once goes to bed in his life. I wish I were a watchman walking the street all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern. i) What does the watchman do with his lantern? ii) What does the watchman have by his side when he walks? iii) According to the poet, the watchman never goes to sleep. Do you agree with him? iv) Why does the poet wish to become a watchman? Ans: i) The watchman swings his lantern. ii) The watchman has his shadow by his side. iii) No, I don’t agree with him. The watchman sleeps during the day like most other watchmen. iv) The poet doesn’t like going to bed early. He wants to walk freely in the dark and lonely streets and chase his shadow at night. 37

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. With the development of agriculture, there was a surplus production of food and thus trade became an everyday activity. It is a common belief among historians that these changes are responsible for the birth of cities. Yet, some think cities were first built for defence reasons. 2. The English word “city” has its origin in the Latin word “civitas” which means “citizenship”. We can also notice the influence of the Greek word “Polis” meaning “city” in English words such as “metropolis” (a really large city). Some of the earliest cities developed between 4000-3000 BC as civilizations in the Middle East, India and China. Some civilizations like Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan had a complex system to keep the city sanitary. In the middle Ages, cities of Venice and San Marino took control over surrounding villages and became powerful city-states. The growth of modern industries led many people to migrate from rural areas to cities, which brought about the rise of megacities. 3. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in Arab. It is popular for not only being the city with the oldest wall which was built around the first community 10,000 years ago but also has its mention in the Hebrew Bible as the “City of Palm Trees”. In Arabic, its name means “fragrant”. In the beginning, the original populations lived alone in an agricultural community, but slowly, different groups of people from other places joined them. In present, several pilgrimage sites make Jericho, a popular tourist destination. 4. In another old city Byblos, people have been living for more than 8,000 years. An ancient myth suggests that this city was built by Greek god Cronus. In ancient times it was called “Gubal”. But since it was popular for import of papyrus (paper), which in Greek is called Byblos, the Greek name Byblos was finally adopted. It was a small fishing village at first, but as trade increased, it became an important shipping port. In the present time, it is found to be one of the greatest beach destinations of the world. 5. Luxor, another ancient city on the Nile River is rich in temples, monuments and ruins of ancient buildings. It is popularly called as the greatest open-air museum in the world. In the ancient Egypt, this city was the site of Thebes, its ancient capital. During the New Kingdom period in Egypt’s history, most rulers decided to be buried in the Valley of Kings, near Luxor. This is where the extremely well-preserved tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922. 6. The Old City of Jerusalem located in the centre of the modern-day Jerusalem, is one of the oldest human settlements in the world. History suggests that in the 11th century BC, King David took over Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom. There had been small communities living on the site prior to King David’s arrival. King Solomon, King David’s son expanded the empire and made it a highly prosperous place. Throughout history, this place was repeatedly conquered by Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Muslim armies. Due to these incredible events, today the Old Jerusalem is the place where people of different religions come together to pay their respects to their holy sites. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. Jericho is a popular tourist site with _____________________________. b. In the present time, Byblos is considered to be one of the ____________ of the world. c. _________________________________________ was discovered in 1922 in Luxor. d. King Solomon, King David’s son expanded the empire and made _______________. Ans: a. several pilgrimage sites. b. greatest beach destinations c. The extremely well-preserved tomb of King Tutankhamen d. it a highly prosperous place. 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. What are the two common beliefs regarding the birth of cities? b. What is the main reason behind the migration of people from rural to urban areas, leading to the birth of megacities? c. How did the Greek city Byblos get its name? d. Why is Luxor called the greatest open-air museum in the world? 38

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Ans: a. surplus production of food and trade b. The growth of modern industries. c. Since it was popular for import of papyrus (paper), which in Greek is called Byblos, the Greek name By- blos was finally adopted. d. It is rich in temples, monuments and ruins of ancient buildings. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Hygienic (Para 2) b. sweet-smelling (Para 3) c. unbelievable (Para 6) Ans: a. Clean   b. fragrant   c. incredible II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Joan of Arc is a French heroine and a Roman Catholic saint. Born in a peasant family, legend says that she was born in an auspicious hour. From an early age, Joan of Arc had a sensitive and religious temperament. It was said by her friends that: “She was greatly committed to the service of God.” 2. From the age of twelve, she began to have magical visions. In these visions, she said she felt the voice of God commanding her to renew the French nation. The visions were often accompanied by light and the presence of some saints. “I was thirteen when I had a voice from God for my help and guidance.” These visions made Joan of Arc even more religious. She would frequently go to the church and it is said that whenever she heard the bells in the church, she would immediately drop her work and run to it. 3. At the time of her childhood, France was seriously divided with a lack of national unity. In 1415, King Henry V of England had defeated France and this victory left the country weak and divided. Under Charles, the French were without direction and without a real leader. When Joan of Arc came to the court, she made a strong impression on Charles with her strength and beliefs. Within a year, Joan of Arc led the French army to victories. Many other towns were also liberated from English control. 4. For her achievements, Joan of Arc and her family were granted noble status. She had also won the hearts of the French soldiers who looked up to her as a mythical leader. However a year later, the English and members of the French clergy decided to put her on trial for witchcraft. The trial was a very testing experience for Joan. During cross-examination, she rejected all the points and her straightforward answers gained her public sympathy. As a result, the trial was continued behind closed doors. It appears Joan was threatened with torture, though there is no evidence she was actually tortured. 5. As expected, Joan was found guilty and condemned to death by burning. It is said that over 10,000 people came to see her execution. Afterwards, her ashes were scattered in the river Seine. One legend tells how her heart remained unaffected by the fire. Twenty-six years later, she was declared to be officially innocent and was officially designated to be a martyr. She was idolized as a saint in 1920 and remains the patron saint of France. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. Joan of Arc is a ___________ and a ____________ saint. b. From an early age, Joan of Arc had _____________________________________. c. Born in a peasant family, legend says that _________________________________. Ans: a. French heroine, Roman Catholic b. a sensitive and religious temperament. c. she was born in an auspicious hour. 39

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. What kind of visions did Joan of Arc have at the age of twelve? b. Quote an instance from the passage to prove that Joan of Arc was an extremely religious person. c. Why was the trial shifted behind the closed doors? d. What does legend mention about Joan’s death? Ans: a. From the age of twelve, she began to have magical visions. In these visions, she said she felt the voice of God commanding her to renew the French nation. b. She would frequently go to the church and it is said that whenever she heard the bells in the church, she would immediately drop her work and run to it. c. During cross-examination, she rejected all the points and her straightforward answers gained her public sympathy. As a result, the trial was continued behind closed doors. d. Afterwards, her ashes were scattered in the river Seine. One legend tells how her heart remained unaffected by the fire. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Ordering (Para 2) b. gained freedom (Para 4) c. at fault (Para 5) Ans: a. Commanding   b. liberated   c. guilty PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You are Sushil Kumar of Madhav Public School, Mysore. Write an application to the Principal requesting him to grant you a free studentship. Ans: Format: (Date The Principal Madhav Public School Mysore Subject: Regarding free studentship Sir/ Ma’am Body Thanking you Yours obediently Sushil Kumar Class VIII A. Body: (VALUE POINTS: With due respect-student of class *-belong to a poor family-father is a helper in a restau- rant-salary meagre-big family-grandmother patient-large portion spent on her treatment-I am a good student-al- ways stand first-teachers appreciate-active in sports-want to do good in life-father unable to help-kindly grant me free studentship, so that I may continue my further studies. Thanking you) Expression: (Vocabulary and Grammar) 40

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) II. Write a letter to a friend of yours with whom you had a quarrel recently. Ans: Format (Sender’s Address, Date, My Dear Rahul (Friend’s name), Body, Yours Lovingly, Name) Content (VALUE POINTS: Writing to you- express my regret and sorrow – able to see things in a better light- both of us were wrong-misunderstanding-forget everything-start afresh-not allow our long friendship and relations-petty incident-hope you also feel the same-come to my place next Sunday-have a cup of tea with me-regards to your parents.) Expression (Vocabulary and Grammar) 41

9.1 Desert Animals Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Mongooses like to hunt together, but they always keep a look out for dangerous predators nearby. Poking their noses into holes, overturning rocks with their paws and scratching the ground with their sharp claws, banded mongooses are very amusing animals to watch. A common sight in many parts of Africa, they travel in groups of about twenty to forage for beetles, millipedes and other small creatures. They like to hunt together, keeping in touch whenever they go out of sight behind rocks or bushes by twittering and calling. Always on the look- out for danger—hawks, eagles and large snakes—they warn one another with a special alarm call if they spot anything suspicious. i) How do mongooses hunt? ii) What do they overturn the rocks with? iii) How do mongooses search for food? iv) What do the mongooses feed on? v) How do the mongooses warn others of a danger? Ans: i) The mongooses like to hunt together. ii) They overturn the rocks with their paws and scratch the ground with their sharp claws. iii) They travel in groups of about twenty in search of food. iv) Mongooses feed on beetles, millipedes and other small creatures. v) They warn one another of danger with a special alarm call. Extract 2: There are more than 2300 different kinds of snakes around the world, ranging from just fifteen centimetres long to more than eleven metres. Most snakes are quite harmless—but there are a few that are so poisonous they can kill a human being with just one bite. Most snakes lay eggs, but there are many which give birth to their young. In the dry, rocky deserts of America lives a rather evil-looking snake with a very bad reputation. Its frightening rattle can be heard as far as thirty metres away, and it can strike with lightning speed. i) How many kinds of snakes are there around the world? ii) What is the minimum and maximum length of snakes? iii) Do snakes lay eggs or give birth to their young ones? iv) Name the snake with a very bad reputation. How does it attack? v) Where are rattle snakes found? Ans: i) There are more than 2300 different kind of snakes around the world. ii) The minimum length is fifteen centimetres and the maximum is more than eleven metres. iii) Most snakes lay eggs but there are many which give birth to their young ones. iv) Rattle snake is the one that has a very bad reputation. It attacks with lightning speed. v) Rattle snakes are found in the dry, rocky deserts of America. 42

9.2 Whatif Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Whatif the bus is late? Whatif my teeth don’t grow in straight? Whatif I tear my pants? Whatif I never learn to dance? Everything seems swell, and then The night-time Whatif strikes again! i) Whose bus might be late? ii) What may happen to his teeth? iii) Has the poet really torn his pants? iv) When do what ifs strike again? Ans: i) The poet’s bus might be late. ii) His teeth may not grow straight. iii) No, he only tears it in his imagination. iv) Whatifs strike again at night. 43

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 1. Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife in a dirty cottage, not very far from the splendid palace where the king and queen lived. In spite of the poor state of the hut, the old man was very rich. He was a great miser and would often go without food all day to save money. But after a while he fell ill, and had no strength to get well again, and in a few days he died. 2. The night following his death, the son dreamed that an unknown man appeared to him and said: ‘You must give back his wealth to the poor and other half you must throw into the sea.’ Then the man vanished, and the youth awoke. The remembrance of his dream troubled him greatly. He did not want to part with the riches but he was honest and good-hearted so he made up his mind to do as he had been bidden. He found out who were the people who were poorest in the village, and spent half of his money in helping them, and the other half, he flung it in the river. In a moment, it was out of sight, except for a tiny scrap of paper floating on the water. He stretched down carefully and managed to catch it. He found six shillings wrapped inside it. This was now all the money he had in the world. 3. With a heavy heart, he wandered into the forest, not knowing where he was going. By-and-by he began to get hungry, and seeing a small hut in front of him, he knocked at the door and asked if they could give him some milk. Two women and three men were at supper when he entered, and silently made room for him to sit down by them. When he had eaten, he began to look about him, and was surprised to see an animal sitting by the fire different from anything he had ever noticed before. It was grey in colour, and not very big; but its eyes were large and very bright, and it seemed to be singing in an odd way, quite unlike any animal in the forest. ‘What is the name of that strange little creature?’ asked he. And they answered, ‘We call it a cat.’ The young man bought the cat for the six shillings he had. The next morning he bade them farewell, with the cat lying snugly in his cloak. 4. The young man decided to go the king’s palace. The king was at dinner with his court when the young man entered, and he signed to him to come near. The youth bowed low, and then gazed in surprise at the crowd of little black creatures who were running about the floor, and even on the table itself. Indeed, they were so bold that they snatched pieces of food from the King’s own plate. ‘What sort of animals are these?’ asked the youth at one of the ladies sitting near him. ‘They are called rats. We have been trying to get rid of them for years now.’ answered the king. ‘At this moment something was seen flying through the air. The cat was on the table, and with two or three shakes, a number of rats were lying dead round him and in a few minutes the hall was clear. 5. The King said: ‘Because of the luck you have brought me, in freeing my palace from the plague which has tormented me for many years, I will give you the choice of two things. Either you shall be my Prime Minister, or else you shall marry my daughter and reign after me. Say, which shall it be?’ ‘The princess and the kingdom,’ said the young man. And so it was. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases from the passage. a. “The young man stretched down carefully and managed to catch it”. ‘It’ here refers to ____________ __________________________________. b. ‘When the young man had eaten, he began to look about him, and was surprised to see an animal sitting by the fire different from anything he had ever noticed before”. What was different about it? _________________________________________ c. “The youth bowed low, and then gazed in surprise at the crowd of little black creatures”. These black creatures refer to __________________________________. Ans: a. a tiny scrap of paper floating on the water. b. It was grey in colour, and not very big; but its eyes were large and very bright, and it seemed to be sing- ing in an odd way. c. Rats 2. Answer the following questions in brief: a. How was the old man rich? b. What did the unknown say to the son in his dream? 44

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) c. What did the young man do with his father’s wealth? d. How did the kind reward the young man? Ans: a. The old man was a great miser and would often go without food all day to save money. b. ‘You must give back his wealth to the poor and other half you must throw into the sea.’ c. He found out who were the poorest in the village, and spent half of his money in helping them, and the other half, he flung it in the river. d. He got him married to the princess and he became the future ruler of the kingdom. 3. Find the words which mean the same as following: a. Impressive (Para 1) b. comfortably (Para 3) c. tortured (Para 5) Ans: a. splendid   b. snugly   c. tormented II. Read the passage and answer the following questions Old people say that childhood is the best part of life. They look back at their childhood and remember all its happy days, the jolly, games, the fun they had at school the sweets and cakes they used to eat, Jokes they used to play and endless discussions they had among friends about almost every topic Perhaps these old folks are right. And yet they forget many things that were not so pleasant in their childhood. There is a funny story that tells of a boy, who was crying because he had to go back to school after the holidays and the father scolded him and said, “Why, I only wish I could be a boy and go to school again.” And all in a moment the father was little boy and his son was a grown-up man like his father. And the father in the shape of a little boy, had to go to school, and I can tell you he did not like it at all. A child’s troubles may seem small to grown-ups but they are very big to him 1. Choose the correct option to answer the question: 1. What are the joys of childhood? a) Jolly games b) The fun they had at school c) The sweets and cakes they used to eat d) All of the above 2. Why do old people have one-sided view of childhood? a) Because they remember only the pleasant parts. b) Because they forgotten the unpleasant parts. c) Both (a) and (b) d) Neither (a) nor (b) 3. Why was little boy crying? a) Because he was not able to find his book b) Because he did not want to go to school. c) Because he wanted to go to school. d) Because he was not able to complete his homework. 4. What wish did the father make? a) He wished that he could be a boy again and go to the school. b) He wished that he could go to the school instead of his son. c) He wished that he could drop his son to the school. d) He wished that he could go back to his college days. 5. What are the joys of childhood? a) Jolly b) Folks c) Troubles d) Pleasant Ans: 1.d 2.c 3. b 4.a 5.c 45

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. Your father has been transferred to another city. Write a letter to the headmaster of your school requesting for the school leaving certificate. Ans: The Headmaster Sarvodya Mandir Preet Vihar 19th Decemeber 20XX Subject: Requesting School Leaving Certificate Respected Sir, My father has been transfeered from Delhi to Indore to take up an official assignment. We are now required to shift to Indore within a fornight. Therefore, it is not possible for me to continue my studies in this school, I, therefore request you to kindly issue me a school leaving certificate so that I may join another School in Indore as soon as possible. Yours obediently Vikram Saxena Class VI A II. Write a descriptive essay in 120-150 words on your favourite restaurant giving details why do you like it so much. Give an appropriate title to it. Ans: Format: (Appropriate title) Content: (VALUE POINTS: Everyone has a favourite restaurant-mine is The Garden Palace-peaceful-most de- licious food-most exquisite place to eat-finest restaurant in town-love to observe-made amidst lots of green- ery-friendly employees-feel relaxed-mouth-watering aroma-clean and hygienic- friendly customers-love to be served in open-mention some dishes you love (lovely crisp dosas, delicious ice cream)-always look forward to go there.) Expression: (Vocabulary and Grammar) 46

10.1 The Banyan Tree Reading Comprehension Extracts Extract 1: Half-way up the tree I had built a crude platform where I would spend the afternoons when it was not too hot. I could read there propping myself up against the tree with a cushion from a living room. Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and The Story of Dr. Dolitare were some of the books that made up my banyan tree library. When I did not feel like reading, I could look down through the leaves at the world below. And on one particular afternoon I had a grandstand view of that classic of the Indian wilds, a fight between a mongoose and a cobra. i) What had the author built half-way up the tree? ii) Where did the author spend his afternoons? iii) What did he bring from the living room? iv) What did the banyan tree serve as? v) What did he do when he did not feel like reading? Ans: i) The author had built a crude platform half-way up the tree. ii) The author spent his afternoons on the crude platform he had built on the tree. iii) He brought a cushion from the living room. iv) The banyan tree served as a library. v) When he did not feel like reading, he would look down through the leaves at the world below. Extract 2: The cobra knew only too well that the grey mongoose, three feet long, was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra, too, was a skilful and experienced fighter. He could move swiftly an strike with a speed of light; and the sacs behind his long sharp fangs were full of deadly poison. It was to be a battle of champions. i) How long was the grey mongoose? ii) What did the cobra know well? iii) Who was an experienced fighter? iv) What were full of deadly poison? v) Find a word in the passage that means the same as ‘offensive’. vi) Name the chapter and its author. Ans: i) The grey mongoose was three feet long. ii) The cobra knew well that the mongoose was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. iii) The cobra was a well experienced fighter. iv) The sacs behind the snake’s long sharp fangs were full of deadly poison. v) aggressive vi) The name of the chapter is ‘The Banyan Tree’ and that of the author is Ruskin Bond. 47

PRACTICE SHEET - 1 (PS-1) Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passage) I. Read the following passage and answer the following questions: Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade and they help to prevent droughts and floods. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realised that the services of the trees are the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that with then he as lost the best faced friend he had. The people in the villages must be persuaded to stop cutting the tees for fuel and for selling it to city people. Unless the Government has a good system of control or it can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear. Answer the following questions briefly: 1. Tress help to prevent… 2. Why do villagers cut trees? 3. What will happen if the government does not control the cutting of trees? 4. What do you mean by drought? 5. The opposite of ‘slowly; is.. Ans: 1. Droughts and floods. 2. Villagers cut trees for fuel. 3. Forests will slowly disappear if the government doesn’t control the cutting of trees. 4. Dry spell/want of rain is called drought. 5. quickly. 48

PRACTICE SHEET - 2 (PS-2) I. You ordered a vase from online store. When it arrived to you found it broken. Write a letter of complaint to the online store stating your dissatisfaction. Ans: 110,C Viddar Bagh Mumbai 03 December 20XX The Sales Manager Prime Store 15 D block Vijay Nagar Chennai. Subject: Received Broken Article. Dear Sir, A feww weeks ago, I ordered porcelain vase through your online site, but when it arrived it was broken into several small pieces. It appeared that the box was crushed by a heavy object. Please resend the order and make sure the new one is not broken. I am returning the invoice that was in the box, and will return the broken pieces to receive the replacement. I will eagerly wait for the arrival of a new vase. If it can be delivered before Christmans, I will be greatful. Yours sincerely Akash 49

1. Parts of Speech Month: June Total Periods: 03 Learning Objectives • Understand clearly what is being said in a sentence. At the completion of this chapter, the students will be able to: • Reflect more accurately on the English language. • Name and explain eight parts of speech. • Use these different parts of speech correctly in • Determine parts of speech in a sentence. sentences. Starter Activity Place this Graphic organiser on the board, ask the students to name the parts of Speech. Write them in the organiser. Concept Map NOUN PRONOUN INTERJECTION PARTS OF VERB SPEECH CONJUNCTION PREPOSITION ADVERB ADJECTIVE Key Points • There are eight parts of speech in the English language. Understanding different parts of speech helps us to know how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.  1. Noun 2. Pronoun 3. Verb 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection 50