title page - pearson educationwps.pearsoned.com/wps/media/objects/6524/6681312/final_tb-7.pdf · 3....

Title Page

Copyright Page

Patterns, a Course in Communicative English, focuses on reading,writing and communicative aspects of English language to ensureholistic training. The aim of the series is to enhance the students’language skills and enable them to use the language with ease andconfidence both inside and outside the boundaries of the classroom.The teacher plays the most significant role in this process. Thereforethe books contain exhaustive Teacher’s Notes providing certainguidelines and suggestions about the way the lessons can beapproached and made interesting as well as beneficial to the students.

The Teacher’s Handbooks (1-8) contain answers to the exerciseswhich accompany the chapters. The primary purpose of these booksis to diminish the workload of the teachers and facilitate the teachingand learning processes. Apart from definite answers, they also containsuggestions which the teachers may follow while teaching a chapter.Answers to some analytical questions are not given since it is in thebest interest of the students to let them think and answer thosequestions based on their understanding of the topics. The exerciseson Writing Skills and Enrichment activities can be conducted bythe teacher following the guidelines given as part of the exercise. Theteacher should encourage students to answer the open-ended questionsdepending on their reading of the chapter.

We sincerely hope that the teachers find these books useful and theHandbooks contribute substantially to the process of learning.

Preface

Course book

Theme: Ghosts1. Ghosts 12. The Night the Ghost Got In 33. The Black Cat 54. Fear of Ghosts 75. Two Witches Discuss Good Grooming 86. The Alien Sandwich Snatcher 9

Theme: Music1. Mozart, the Boy Musician 102. The Magic Flute 123. Music 144. The Solitary Reaper 155. Wandering Singers 176. The Winged Tree 18

Theme: Food1. Dal Delight 212. Jars of Gold 243. I’d Like to be a Teabag 274. Recipe for a Salad 285. Butterfingers 296. Cheeni Chor’s Secret Sweet Dish 307. Strawberry Bonanza 33

Theme: Girl Child1. The Why-Why Girl 352. Burning the Rice Field 383. I Talk Of Roses, She of Thorns 404. Bird 435. Sir Donald Dimplechin 446. Lecture 467. It Does Not Become You 47

Contents

Theme: Growing Up1. Why Did You Call Me Percy? 482. Cat Envy 493. Kid Stuff 504. William and Photography 515. I’m Not Butter Chicken 556. A Bushel of Learning 58

Workbook 62-96

The Storyteller1. Cheese 972. Smells 1003. The Flying Machine 1024. The Lesson of the Moth 1045. Shed in Space 1066. My Granny is a Sumo Wrestler 1097. Stolen Day 1108. Speed Adjustments 1129. The Desirable Shawl 114

10. Dancing Teepees 11711. The Alarm Clock 11812. Dandy 12013. The Tightrope 12214. At the Theatre (To the Lady behind Me) 12515. Eliza’s Debut 127

1

Comprehension Page 5

1. Asimov feels that though the body dies, something called the‘I’ or the spirit lives on. In other words, the immortal ‘I’establishes Asimov’s theory of afterlife.

2. Spirits are things which do not belong to this world. Hence,they translate to something spiritual. They are less frighteningthan ghosts because all spirits are not necessarily evil.

3. The word spirit comes from the Latin word spiritus. Spiritusmeans ‘breath’ or ‘air’. As a result the writer associates spiritswith air.

4. Ghosts and spirits are imagined to be made of breath that leftthe body when someone died. Therefore they can have acloudy appearance but no shape.

Word power Page 5

A. 1. kindly 2. simple 3. freely

4. truthfully 5. accidentally 6. exception

7. spiritual 8. separately 9. happily

10. safely

B. Words related to the supernatural, in this essay are:

creaks; feeling of fright; afterlife; uncovered graves; geist; spirit

Write the answers Page 6

1. Most people across cultures believe that the dead continue toexist. They can be seen and sensed at crucial moments.

2. The idea of ghosts arose from the concept of afterlife. Bodiesmight die but the soul or the spirit continues to exist. Ghostsand spirits are imagined to be made of the breath that leavesthe body when someone dies.

CCCCCOURSEOURSEOURSEOURSEOURSE B B B B BOOKOOKOOKOOKOOK

Theme: GhostsGhosts

2

3. It is difficult for human beings to accept the fact that theymust die and leave this earth without leaving a trace. It ishard for them to accept that death can completely wipe outtheir existence. Therefore they invest in the idea of afterlifewhich gives them a chance to believe that a part of them liveson even after their bodies have perished.

Listening/speaking Page 6

NOTE: Students can develop their own theories based on booksread/stories heard/real life experiences or their imagination.

Writing skills Page 6

A. NOTE: Suggested sub-headings under which students can writethe sentences are the following:

• Why do people believe in ghosts?

• Author’s own belief about ghosts

• How did the notion of ghosts arise?

• Where do ghosts come from?

• Origin of the word ‘ghost’

• Origin of and significance of the word ‘spirit’

• What are ghosts made of?

• What happens to breath/air after death of the body?

B. NOTE: Students can use the following words related to thesupernatural to construct their own spooky story:

spooky, eerie, sinister, weird, creepy, paralysing, alarming, uncanny,invisible, apparition, spectre, phantom, ghoul, vision, benign spirit,friendly ghost, vengeful, restless spirit, amorphous, nebulous,nightmarish, blood-curdling scream, goosebumps

NOTE: Students could first make a rough draft of the storyhighlighting the beginning, the middle and the end and show it totheir teacher.

Enrichment activity Page 6

NOTE: Students can collect material from various sources. Thisexercise might dispel their fear of ghosts.

3

The Night the Ghost Got InComprehension Page 10

1. While everyone was asleep in their rooms around quarter pastone in the morning, the writer heard steps of a man pacingaround the dining table downstairs.

2. The ghost was walking rapidly around the dining table. Thewriter could hear the steps kept going round and round thetable and then coming up the stairs.

3. When his brother Herman rushed to his room and slammedthe door, their mother woke up.

4. Mother enquired about the noise and wondered whether therewas a burglar in the house.

5. Policemen were all over the place to find the burglar who hadbroken into the house according to the author’s mother.There was mayhem and chaos. They yanked open the doors,searched the drawers, threw the furniture around, pulled downand shut the windows but could not find the burglar.

6. The narrator did not want the police to go into the atticbecause his grandfather who believed that he was fighting inthe Civil War and his soldiers were deserting the army, werein the attic. He did not want the police men to encounterhim in this fragile state.

Word power Page 10

A. NOTE: Students can write what meanings the onomatopoeicwords given in the box evoke.

twinkling sparkling, glistening, shining, shimmering, flashing,blinking

gurgling rippling, splashing, bubbling, frothing, gushing

slamming banging, crashing, smashing

bustling rushing, hurrying, struggling, scuffling, noisy

creaking squealing, screeching

hammering pounding, bludgeoning, beating

4

B. NOTE: Students can frame their own phrases. This can be anexercise in creativity.


1 a. The speaker is the author’s mother

b. The speaker is speaking to the author.

c. She means that the author is not wearing any clothes.

2. a. he thought they were the deserters of General Meade’sarmy during the Civil War, trying to hide in his attic.

b. Grandfather gave him a tight smack alongside his head.

c. the next morning at breakfast he asked them what thepolicemen were doing in the house.

3. a. ‘He’ refers to the narrator’s grandfather’s Grandfather.

b. He thinks the police men are deserters.

c. He thinks so because he imagines that he is in the pastfighting the Civil War.


NOTE: Each person questioned might have different answersdepending on the way they have reacted to and perceived the wholeincident, their age, their frame of mind, etc.


A. NOTE: Students can write the paragraph using the followingclues.

wee hours of the morning; everyone is asleep; thumping sound ofsteps resounding in the whole house; pacing round and roundrestlessly; steps running up heavily; pale light—cannot see anyone;brother green with fear—slamming the door; doors and windowsshut

B. NOTE: The report is a factual description written in the thirdperson. All details are written in short, simple sentences. Signature,name and designation of the person writing the report are mentioned.The body of the report should include the following points:

The name and address of the house—who informed the police—timeof the day/night—the statement of all the members of the family

5

regarding any suspicion, any sign of forced entry, etc—the details ofinvestigation carried out—any conclusive evidence, clues found—conclusion drawn on the basis of findings—case closed or furtherinvestigation to be carried out


NOTE: Students can be encouraged to use their imagination andwrite interesting, fascinating, innovative and even humorous horrorstories.

The Black CatComprehension Page 16

1. The writer picked up a long handled broom at the junk shop.Since he did not have a servant to sweep his rooms he thoughthe could sweep with the long handled broom without havingto bend double.

2. The cat made itself comfortable in the writer’s house by lappingup the milk, springing up on the cupboard and dancing andplaying around the broom.

3. Mrs Bellows came looking for her cat.

4. She wanted a glass of hot water.

5. She poured a purple powder and then a crimson powder inthe glass and asked the author to pour boiling hot water overit. The fizzy, frothy bubbling drink had a horrible stench andshe drank it.

6. The author saw a silhouette of Mrs Bellows and her cat ridingaway on his broomstick against the moon.

Word power Page 17

A. 1c; 2f; 3h; 4g; 5b; 6b; 7e

B. 1. ‘well-earned-prize’ describes the prize while ‘Prize was wellearned’ denotes how the prize was won.

2. ‘Sweet-natured woman’ describes the woman, while the phrase‘woman was sweet natured’ denotes the kind of nature/disposition the woman had.

6

3. ‘Horribly-disfigured face’ describes the face, while the phrase‘face was horribly disfigured’ denotes how dreadfully/terriblythe face was disfigured.

C. NOTE: Students can be encouraged to give their suggestionswhile writing the suitable nouns with the adjectives given.

penetrating voice, smell

imperious temper, command, influence

mysterious smile, death

perverse pleasure, behaviour

D. debatable; fashionable; changeable; tolerable; agreeable; writable


1. A cat and a broomstick are associated with all that is eerie,supernatural, ghostly. They are inseparable from witches forthey always fly on broomsticks and have cats as pets. So thewriter’s imagination was indeed fired.

2. Cats are considered synonymous with evil, dark, magicalpowers. Brooms too are invested with magical powers for inall ghost stories the witches travel on the broomstick.

3. The author was not too keen to keep the cat as a pet rather,the cat made itself at home. It merely tolerated the owner’spresence. The author fed it reluctantly and did not reallywelcome it.

4. The cat stared at the author as though summing him up,followed him into the house, started scratching at the pantrydoor. The author presumed that it was hungry. So he gave itsome milk. The cat settled down and did not leave the house.It would dance and play around the broom when he used it.It would purr loudly and sidle around it.

5. a. The speaker is old Mrs Bellow, who has come looking forher cat.

b. She asked for a glass of hot water.

c. It was a rather unusual request.

7

d. She poured a purple coloured powder and a crimsoncoloured powder into the glass and asked him to pourboiling water over it. Then she drank the fizzy, stinky andfrothy concoction in one gulp.


NOTE: Students can play the role of the author and Mrs Bellow.They can mimic the voice of an old, frightening, strange and ratherbizarre lady.


A. NOTE: A diary entry is written in the first person. The day, dateand time of writing the entry are mentioned. The writer expresseshis/her emotions/feelings through a diary entry. Students can imaginethemselves to be an old lady.

B. NOTE: The teacher can revise the rules of letter writing beforestudents write the letter.

Fear of GhostsComprehension Page 20

1. The child’s name is Leigh and she is three years old.

2. The ghost expects the child to be frightened out of her wits.

3. The child is curious to know how the ghost can see since hehas to wear his head so awkwardly.

4. The teacher can encourage students to answer this questionaccording to their choice.

5. The ghost had to frighten at least three children to enrol inthe Royal Ghost Society.

6. Leigh tells the ghost that she wants to sleep so he should siton the settee.

Word power Page 20

1. sound of footsteps

2. frightened, terrified, petrified

3. those that have died recently

8

4. obvious, easy to understand


1. The ghost is terribly disappointed because the child refuses tobe frightened of him. He decides to leave as he is convincedthat as long as she is alive and he is dead, he will be unableto scare her.

2. According to the ghost she was not well bred because shehadn’t been taught to fear ghosts. She was convinced thatghosts did not exist. She told the ghost to sit on the setteeas she wanted to sleep.

3. The child is definitely very brave. She is not frightened to seea disfigured, grotesque, weird ghost in her bedroom in themiddle of the night. She is only intrigued and wants to knowhow he can see. The ghost tries to frighten her and convincesher that he is a ghost. But she asserts with a quiet confidencethat ghosts don’t exist and asks him to stop disturbing her.NOTE: The children can be encouraged to come up withtheir own reasons.


NOTE: The teacher can revise the format of a letter before studentswrite it. The students can be encouraged to be as imaginative aspossible.

Two Witches Discuss Good GroomingComprehension Page 22

1. The first witch wants to know how the second witch managesto keep her teeth so green.

2. She streaks her eyes with purplish red colour to make themlook bloodshot.

3. She wants her skin to be infected by spots and boils.

4. The witch has eaten raw sewage to get bad breath.

5. The second witch tells the first one that she does not needto do anything, there is no secret. Her grotesque ugliness is

9

natural.

Word power Page 22

A. The rhyme scheme of this poem is the same for all the stanzas,abcb, abcb, abcb.

B. 1. vigorously 2. shade 3. streak

4. complexion 5. sewage 6. secret

The Alien Sandwich SnatcherComprehension Page 24

1. The alien stole the poet’s lunch when he/she was in the park.

2. The poet was doubly annoyed because he stole his lunch boxwhen he was paddling in the river and did not even stop tothank him.

3. The poet hopes that the alien’s tummy gets upset with thejam. He hopes he hates the brown bread and hiccups whenhe goes to bed.

4. The rhyme scheme is abcb, abcb, abcb. It is the same as theprevious poem ‘Two Witches Discuss Grooming’.

5. The poet is worried about his losing his lunch box since heknows that his mother will be very angry with him. It is thefifth lunch box that he has lost in the same week.

6. NOTE: The answer to this question can depend on thestudents’ choice.

The alien could be anyone. It could be one of his friends/classmates/a bully. It could be a squirrel, a crow/a duck, etc.

Word power Page 24

Other examples of alliteration in the poem are:

nice new lunch bag; straight home to Space; I hope he hates brownbread; I hope he has hiccups; my lunch bag in his beak

10


Students can play the roles of the child who tells his/her motherabout the wicked alien and the mother who reacts to the story.

Writing skills

A. Students can be encouraged to be as imaginative as possible whiledoing the writing exercises.

Theme: MusicMozart, the Boy Musician


1. When Wolfang was three years old, he used to stand by hisfather as he taught music to his sister. One day he stood ontiptoe, pressed two keys and then played two more togetheron the clavier. He was astounded that his three year old couldplay thirds without any help from anyone. In this way FatherMozart first discovered his son’s talent for music.

2. Wolfang preferred to play the clavier rather than with histoys. Every night he would compose a little tune with nonsensewords, then first he would sing it and then his father wouldsing it. This was his favourite game.

3. The Mozart siblings were applauded with ringing cheers andshowered with gifts when they performed at the prince’s palace.

4. Father Mozart and his accomplished musician friends had topractise a trio for the Archbishop. Wolfang’s father told himnot to disturb them as he thought that he did not know howto play the violin.

5. He was allowed to stay in the room only if he promised toplay so softly that no one would be able to hear him.

6. Herr Schachtner stopped playing because Wolfang was playingthe violin to perfection.

7. Father Mozart was a music composer with a deep passion for

11

music. He was a loving father. He taught music to his childrenand recognised that his son was a musical genius. He was acaring, gentle father who played games with his children andtook them to perform. He encouraged his son at every step,helped his genius to flourish and blossom.

Word power Page 31

A. 1. ceremony 2. concert 3. anxious 4. popular 5. smudge6. rare

B. electrician; cricketer; magician; physician; politician; teacher;mathematician; geologist; worker; historian; dietician.


1. a. Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfang Amadeus

b. flutes, cellos and violins

c. court Trumpeter

d. a slow stately dance for two in triple form

e. put you in a glass case to keep you from all harm. Nextto God come you.

2. He told his father that when he was old he would put himin a glass case to protect him from all kinds of dangers. Hevenerated and idolised his father next to God.

3. Each night Wolfang would compose a tune with nonsensewords. Then he would sing it and his father would sing itafter him. Then his father would kiss him on the tip of hisnose and he would go to bed.

4. He listened to the music intently at Sistine Chapel. As soonhe reached home he wrote almost every note from memory.


A. Students will play roles of the mother, Wolfang and his sister.They can express the excitement, jubilation and sense of achievementexperienced by the children. The curiosity and eagerness of themother as she asks these questions as well her pride in her theirachievements can also be expressed.

B. NOTE: The questions can be framed in a way to find details of

12

the performance—the dignitaries present, Prince’s praise, response ofthe audience; how the children have been trained; their proficiency;expertise and virtuosity; their father’s feeling of pride andaccomplishments.


A. NOTE: The teacher can explain the difference between noun andverb. Students will frame their own sentences. For example,

• The small boy was asked to draw a line on the sheet of paper.

• The cricket match ended in a draw.

B. NOTE: The students can place themselves in the role of thefather and express his joy and amazement through the diary entry.

C. NOTE: In a speech, the speaker addresses the gathering andmentions the topic of his speech. The students can construct thespeech accordingly.


NOTE: Students can collect pictures and material on the greatcomposer and prepare a bulletin board.

The Magic FluteComprehension Page 40

1. As he was walking up the path of an alien village he heard ayoung girl calling her mother. This evoked a strong yearningfor his mother who had passed away.

2. The woman addressed him as ‘son’ and asked him where hewas going when she met him for the first time.

3. Sayapatri was overjoyed to have Sukumar as her brother. Shedid not have any brothers so she loved him dearly. She sensedthat he was sad and melancholy but could not understandthe reason for his unhappiness. When he told her the reasonshe consoled him that she would tell her father to love him.

4. The headman disapproved of Sukumar and did not trusthim. He feared that he would be a bad influence on theirdaughter. He felt that he would just live off their kindness

13

and hospitality and leave them one day.

5. The family was spell bound by his music. They listened inrapt attention. It moved them and stirred the most profoundemotions in their heart.

6. Sukumar was dejected and heart broken because he could notwin the love of Sayapatri’s father. He tried to win him overby his music but all his efforts proved to be futile. So hebecame depressed and disheartened and thought that he shouldleave the house.

7. When he returned he saw villagers swarming the house, lookingsad and forlorn. Sayapatri lay on her mother’s lap, in acomatose condition.

8. When Sukumar played his music Sayapatri responded andopened her eyes. She was overjoyed to see her brother whomshe loved so dearly. Seeing his daughter’s reaction the headmanwelcomed Sukumar back into the family.

Word power Page 40

A. NOTE: Some of the possible answers are listed here:

majestic—regal, grand

journey—voyage

melody—tune

definite—exact

beckon—signal, summon

despair—misery, anguish

revive—restore, regain

flutter—quiver

B. 1. -ness; 2. un-; 3. -able; 4. -ness; 5. -less; 6. -able; 7. un-

C. NOTE: The students can frame their own sentences using thewords as verbs and nouns.

D. 1. to find a place, to stay in the village

2. playing his flute

3. enraptured by the boy’s music

14

4. to have a new brother

5. weeping softly to himself


1. Sukumar’s father told him to appreciate the beauty of themoonlight, to listen to the melody of the gentle rain. He toldhim that he should always be joyful and happy when he playsthe flute. He also told him to play with pure, chaste feelings,from the bottom of his heart. He said that if he played withlove, he would touch the cords of people’s heart and theywould recognise his love through his melody.

2. Sukumar yearned to be loved by her father but he wanted towin his love. He did not want it to be forced or imposed onhim.

3. He loved Sayapatri dearly but he was in a dilemma whetherhe should return to the village or continue his wanderings.Then he dreamt of his beloved sister beckoning him. Thisdream helped him make his decision and he returned to thevillage.


NOTE: In a message the date, day and time of writing the note ismentioned. The note is informal and personal. Students can imaginethat they are Sukumar and write the note in first person.

MusicComprehension Page 42

1. He is talking about the earth he knows. It is bereft of music;its loveliness has no sheen or lustre because it hasn’t felt thetouch of music yet.

2. Naiads watched over the springs that were believed to inspirethose who drank their waters. They were thought to havepowers to prophesy and inspire people. These were protectorsand guardians.

15

3. The sound of music has caused havoc in the world of theNaiads. The somber and solemn musical notes arouse them.

Word power Page 42

A. The branches of the tree are synonymous with life. They areburdened by struggles, trials, tribulations and hardships of life.

B. Man’s body is reduced to dust after death. ‘Dust’ could implythe place where the poet was before he came to this earth. It couldalso imply the earth, that is, a place where there is sorrow and grief.

C. The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb, aabb, aabb.


1. Without music the world lacks lustre and sheen. The worldseems a dismal, dreary place. Everything seems to be devoidof happiness and ecstasy. Music transforms everything andnature’s loveliness is enhanced by the radiant glow of music.

2. The world overflows with bliss and happiness. Everythingglistens with a bright radiance and the loveliness of natureincreases. The trials and tribulations, the strife and the strugglesof life seem to be soothed and calmed by music. Themelancholy earth resonates with hope and optimism and timeseems to fly.


The woods and forests are images of time. Life is a journey along apath which is smooth and easy as well as arduous, rough, demanding,difficult with hurdles and obstacles. The image created is that of aforest with streams, rivers, valleys, dense foliage, mountains, etc. Itis similar to travelling through the different milestones of life.

The Solitary ReaperComprehension Page 45

1. single in the field; singing by herself; alone she cuts

2. The reaper’s song is hauntingly beautiful, it resonates in thevalley. The poet mentions far off exotic places to highlight theincomparable beauty and sweetness of the reaper’s song. It

16

also enhances the ethereal, supernatural mystique of the reaper.

3. The poet cannot understand the lyrics of her song but hepresumes that she might be singing about legendary heroes,battles fought long ago, a tragedy caused by natural disastersor she might be singing about mundane, everyday affairs.

4. He is trying to emphasise the indescribable, evocative beautyof her song—the profound, touching sadness and the impactthat it has on him.

5. The sweet melody of her song is so beautiful that it leaves anindelible imprint on his mind. He is so impressed by the songthat he will always remember it. It’s beauty will never passinto nothingness. It is eternal and everlasting.

Word power Page 45

A. plaintive numbers; unhappy far off things; some natural sorrowloss or pain

B. behold; yon; vale; ne’er; lay

C. ‘Natural sorrow’ could mean that she has lost someone who hasdied a natural death or loss and devastation caused by some naturaldisaster such as earthquake, drought, flood, etc.


1. The deep and remote valley resonates with her song. It echoesin the silent wilderness of the valley and it seems to be filled/flooded with her music.

2. The poet compares the reaper’s song to the song of thenightingale whose sweet melody welcomes the exhaustedtravellers in the desert. He also compares her song to thecuckoo bird whose notes break the silence of the distantremote forlorn seas around the islands of Herbrides.


A. The meanings of the adjecives are given.highland lass—the young girl who lives in the mountainous regionmelancholy strain - a sad songweary bands of travellers - group of tired, exhausted travelersArabian sands - the desert of Arabia

17

plaintive numbers - songs with a sad theme

shady haunt - a resting place that is shady

C. The answer to this question will depend on the students’interpretation of the Reaper’s song. They can use the followingpoints to write the answer.

The history of her people—stories of war, devastation, destruction—of the tyranny of ruthless monarchs—the cruelty of invaders—sociopolitical injustice—exploitation of innocent citizens

Wandering SingersComprehension Page 47

1. The wind calls these wandering singers.

2. A feeling of universal brotherhood—a bond of love andfriendship that binds them to all men and women is expressedthrough these songs.

3. The songs speak about cities that have been destroyed,devastated, razed down, that have lost their glory and splendour;the happiness, prosperity, and beauty of women who diedlong ago; the majesty and grandeur of kings; the might ofbattles waged by brave warriors.

4. The line that conveys the spirit of these wandering singers is—‘Where the wind calls our wandering footsteps we go.’

5. The wind is a symbol of their circumstances, situations andthe times they live in.

6. The wind symbolises their circumstance and what life has instore for them. These conditions determine their fate and thepath of their life.

Word power Page 47

A. Students can find out the meanings of the words listed and makesentences with them.

lute - a musical instrument

footsteps - path, direction

18

roam - wander aimlessly

tarry - delay

kindred - relations, family

B. Students should pick out words and phrases from the last stanzathat convey the spirit of these singers and their homelessness.

wandering footsteps, no love binds us, no joy bids us wait


The answer to this question will depend upon the students’ readingof both the poems. They can utilise the following points whileframing their answers.

• The reaper is forlorn, lonely in remote wilderness.

• The wandering singers too are lonely, homeless.

• The song of the reaper and the songs of the wandering singersare sad and haunting.

The Winged TreeComprehension Page 51

1. The author tells the readers that his stories are not made up.They are based on real life. He wants readers to decide forthemselves after they have read the story.

2. The news of the tree that danced to the music of the musicianhad spread. The citizens thronged to see it out of curiosity,bewilderment or for the sheer pleasure and delight of such awondrous phenomenon.

3. The musician played the piano with such feeling that hismusic mesmerised and captivated everyone. They were somoved by the beauty of the music that they imagined thingsthat were incredible and beyond anything they could imagine.It was simply indescribable.

4. The poet is trying to tell the readers that if we stop believingin the glory and miraculous powers of the human spirit whenit is crushed, we cannot hope to revive the spirit and thebelief in miracles.

19

5. The story is set in contemporary times because the city hasan elected mayor who is scared of losing his popularity; thepeople express their resentment by holding rallies, hungerstrikes; the mayor orders that a skyscraper should be built.

Word power Page 52

A. Students should write expressions of their choice against thefollowing questions. They can use the following suggestions to frametheir answers.

1. • Hush, my darling

• You are a brave boy

• Ah! Someone’s got a long face

2. • Bravo! You had the courage to run the race

• Don’t worry we’ll have you dropped home

B. Students should complete the grid with words from the text.

Down

1. foliage

3. luxurious

4. throng

Across

2. exile

5. acquire

6. drooping

7. surpass


1. Visions of stormy seas and the distant cosmos sprang in theirmind’s eye. The music evoked pictures of things of exquisite,refined beauty, the most wonderful things that they couldnot define or they had never imagined.

2. When people gathered around the tree they were enchantedto see a miraculous sight—the tree had sprouted enormouswings. It seemed as though the tree was ready to soar to thesky.

20

3. The miraculous tree and its passionate relationship with themusician had captivated the fancy of the city dwellers andthey thronged the musician’s house. The mayor ordered thetree to be cut down because he felt threatened by the growingpopularity of the tree.


The student can imagine that he/she is the musician. The musicianraises his voice and blames the mayor for this heinous act. Hethreatens to sue him. He has the support of the people and themedia.

The mayor offers flimsy excuses for his act. He cannot give a logicalreason. He threatens the musician that he will put him behind bars.


A. Students can be as imaginative as possible as they do this exercise.They can use the following suggestions.

2. enormous – bed, footprints3. unbelievable – feat, victory4. inspired – students, believers5. brimming – eyes, love6. drooping – branches, eyelids7. luxurious – apartment, coach, suite8. distressed – teacher, parent

B. Students can base their letters on the following points.

A miraculous event that surpasses one’s imagination—a tree swayingto the music of a musician—the musician’s music has always enthralledand cast a magic spell—transporting the listener to an unknown,exotic and splendid world—the lonely musician had found a soulmate in the tree—people thronged to his house to see the treerespond to the mood reflected in the music that was played—a mostbreathtaking sight—unbelievable, incredible, miraculous.

C. The answer to this question will depend on the student’s choice.

Enrichment activity page 53

Students can gather information about Tansen and other musicianswho were blessed with divine and miraculous powers.

21

Theme: FoodDal Delight


1. Nawab Hasan Ali had heard so much about Qadir’s culinaryskills that he had expected his specialty to be someextraordinary dish and not dal. Dal did not sound interestingat all.

2. Qadir decided to serve light cucumber raita, mint chutney, avegetable dish of cauliflower and potatoes, a plate of creamysoft kakori kebabs and freshly baked tandoori rotis with ‘dalshahi urad’. The dessert would be phirni.

3. The Nawab was completely engrossed in flying kites on hisrooftop when Sadiq reached his house.

4. The Nawab’s friends sent him away because the Nawab’s kitewas in danger of being cut by another kite.

5. Sadiq went to his friend Aman who was also flying a kite onhis rooftop and asked him to cut the Nawab’s blue and silverkite. Aman was a champion kite fighter and did it immediately.Sadiq ran back to the Nawab to remind him to come to eatthe dal. Since the Nawab was no longer immersed in kiteflying he remembered his promise.

6. Sadiq wished to spend the mohur to buy kites, tops and totreat himself and Aman to kulfi and falooda.

Word power Page 61

Students will use the phrases in sentences that they make.


1. Method – special masala

Accompaniments – mint chutney, cucumber raita, vegetabledish of cauliflower and potatoes, creamy soft kakori kebabs,freshly baked tandoori rotis and the dessert—phirni.

Ingredients – best quality of urad with perfect unbroken pieces,cinnamon, sticks, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cloves, garlic

22

pods, onions, ginger, turmeric, saffron, milk, pure ghee.

Result – a most delicious and special dal .

2. Sadiq’s father, instead of being subservient and obliging wasrather short-tempered and moody. Sadiq feared that if hisfather annoyed or displeased the Nawab, he would not cometo eat his dal and thus would not shower them with gifts andmoney.

3. Sadiq had heard that the Nawab was an epicurean, he wasvery fond of food and had rewarded many cooks who managedto satisfy him. He was sure that once the Nawab tasted hisfather’s preparations which were undoubtedly the best, theywould be rewarded. So he was very keen that the Nawabshould come to eat at their shop.

4. The Nawab relished every morsel of the delicious, delectabledal. He exclaimed in delight that he had never tasted anythingbetter. He savored the food so much that he asked Qadir toask for any reward he wanted.

5. Nawabs are supposed to be temperamental, quirky and moodybut in this case Qadir, who was a mere cook did not acceptthe Nawab’s terms. Rather he dictated his own terms withoutany fear of incurring the nawab’s ire. Qadir told the Nawabthat his dal was the best dish he could prepare and he toldthe Nawab that it would take him a day to prepare the dal.When the Nawab told him to deliver the dal to his house,he insisted that the Nawab should come to his shop to haveit. He also informed the Nawab that if he were late, he wouldnot wait for him. He would throw the food away.


The students can be assigned roles. The Nawab and his friends willrelish the food, they will smack their lips and exclaim in delight,heaping praises on Qadir. Qadir and Sadiq will be the perfect hosts,serving the guests and accepting the compliments graciously.


A. Students should identify the parts of speech of the highlightedwords in each of the sentences.

23

In the first sentence ‘taste’ is a verb.

In the second it is a noun.

B. Students can frame sentences with the help and guidance of theteacher.

1. She dumped the contents of her bag on the counter.

The content cat purred in absolute pleasure.

2. They were wandering in the seemingly endless desert.

The soldiers did not desert their wounded mates.

3. I am so excited that I want to tear open the packet.

A tear drop rolled down her cheek.

4. Being very meticulous, she wants to oversee all the minutedetails of the arrangement.

Time is very precious, every minute counts.

5. They threw the refuse in the garbage dump.

I refuse to comply to your unreasonable demands.

C. Students can use the following suggestions while writing thisletter.

I wish to thank you for the delectable, delicious and sumptuousmeal you served me at your shop. You are indeed a master chef—adept, skilful, proficient—it would be my privilege and honour ifyou would accept my offer to be the chief chef in my royal kitchen—you will be given living quarters, you may quote your remuneration,you may keep some assistants. I am sending this letter through myminister and I hope to get a reply in the affirmative.

D. Qadir would have been enraged and infuriated. He would getready to throw the food—Sadiq might try to pacify him, implorethat he should wait for some time and tell him about the rewardand what they might do with it.


Students can make a menu of the most exotic and quintessentiallyIndian dishes, starting with appetisers, followed by the main courseand the dessert.

24

Jars of GoldComprehension Page 67

1. Buaji and the cook were almost as old as each other. Bothhad slightly impaired vision but when it came to the dailyritual of doling out rations, they did not rely on spectacles.Each trusted their flawed vision to execute this sacred rite.

2. The storeroom was the sanctum sanctorum of the house. Themembers of the family would scramble, romp, throng, crowdnoisily and boisterously in all parts of the sprawling house.But when they went past the storeroom, they would walkslowly, as though out of respect.

3. Buaji pronounced with finality that the writer had the potentialof becoming a professional thief.

4. Well, looking at pickles is not going to make them mouldyor rotten. But according to Buaji, pickles were sensitive andreceptive to the evil intentions and thoughts of the onlooker.That is why she kept them in the storeroom till they wereready to be eaten.

NOTE: Students can be encouraged to come up with theirown suggestions while writing this answer.

5. Buaji showed her special fondness for certain people in thefamily by doling out generous portions of everything includingpickle for them.

Word power Page 67

A. Students should complete the word grid with words from thetext.

Across

2. meagre

3. siestas

7. assortments

8. confiscate

9. astounded

25

Down1. legend2. meticulous3. simmer4. aroma5. stampede6. tantalise

B. Students should match the similies.

1. as restless as the sea

2. as clear as crystal

3. as playful as a kitten

4. as sly as a fox

5. as graceful as a swan

6. as colourful as the rainbow

7. as pale as a ghost

8. as dark as a dungeon

9. as slippery as an eel

10. as silent as a tomb


1. The writer was tempted by the tantalising pickles, so one dayshe dared to sneak into the storeroom. Buaji caught her whileshe was trying to steal pickles. So the same evening the familysat in judgment to decide about this blasphemous attempt.

2. Buaji, although unschooled, was an expert mathematician.Every day she distributed accurate and exact measure of rationand ingredients to the cook. She was sought after by peopleto dole out the rations during wedding feasts. She just usedher fingers to make the calculations.

3. The servants emptied out the most amazing assortment ofthings such as bundles of bidis, matchboxes, blunt penknives,buttons, bits of string and playing cards, broken pens, pencilstubs, tiny combs, letters and some precious documentswrapped carefully in plastic.

26

4. a. Buaji would open the storeroom with her key and thenthe cook would be allowed to enter it. She would doleout the ration with meticulous, scrupulous care. She didnot rely on her spectacles. She would dole out the rationwith precision and exactitude and then lock up the room.

b. The storeroom is a dark narrow room with a polished redfloor and a small window that is covered with brownpaper. It has a maze of shelves with bottles of pickles,grains, sugar, dals, etc. It is the sanctum sanctorum of thehouse which tempts many a prospective thief. The mostexotic, tantalising and mouth watering aromas waft fromthe storeroom.

c. One day Buaji roared menacingly when she found the keyto the storeroom missing from under her pillow. All theservants were summoned and they lined up in front of thestoreroom. One by one Buaji asked each one to empty hispocket. An amazing array of objects came tumbling out oftheir pockets—bundles of bidis, matchboxes, bluntpenknives, buttons, bits of string and playing cards, brokenpens, pencil stubs, tiny combs, letters and some preciousdocuments wrapped carefully in plastic. When Buaji sawthe matchboxes she confiscated them for she claimed theywere her property. When she saw the cards she observeddisapprovingly that they spent all their money in gambling.Everyone was astonished because the keys were not found.All the servants looked at each other suspiciously. Theinvestigation did not yield any results so Buaji invokeddivine intervention asking the gods to make the thief returnthe keys. Then miraculously the keys appeared by mid-morning before the doling out of ration.


The students can be assigned roles—Buaji with a commanding voice,thundering at the servants, intimidating them with the fear ofincurring God’s wrath—the servants whining and trying to convinceher that they are innocent; trying to implicate each other.

27


A. Each personality trait can be supported with evidence from thetext.

She rules the storeroom—the keys are with her—very meticulous—doles out the ration with great care—the ritual is carried out religiouslyevery day, etc.

B. Students can fabricate their own ending.

The whole house is searched—everything goes haywire—meal is notprepared—Buaji is furious, etc.

I’d Like to be a TeabagComprehension Page 70

1. The poet would never have to wash his face or change hisdirty socks. He wouldn’t have to do his homework, jobs orhousehold chores. He would not have to tidy his room orsweep the floors. He would not even have to feed the cat orwash the spoons.

2. Earl Grey tea is a famous tea of sterling quality. He probablymentions it because it smacks of royalty and the rich sovereignsnever have to lift a finger, they live a life of indolent luxury.

3. He can just lounge in the little box and not do anything. Hislife would be blissful and idyllic. The only thing he wouldhave to do in his lifetime would be to make a cup of tea andthat too, only once.


The poet wants to be a teabag because it lies in the luxuriouscomfort of a little box. He too wants to laze around blissfully. Hehates to wash his face and change his dirty socks. He just wants tostay at home without having to clean his room, feed the cat, dohousehold chores and his homework. Like the royal, regal teabag, hewants to lead a life of indolence, snoring in the cozy box along withother teabags.

28


A. Students can imagine that they are teabags. Write about the sheerjoy of not doing the things they dislike—just lie there and daydream—converse with the other teabags—have a chat with the boilingwater, milk sugar—wait for their turn—enjoy the aroma of the thingsthat are cooked in the kitchen where they lie.

B. Students can probably desire to be something that they love toeat—a chocalate, an ice cream, candy, fruits like a mango, strawberry,cherries, etc or their favourite dish. Then they can compose a shortpoem.

Recipe for a SaladComprehension Page 71

1. The ingredients used for the salad are hard boiled eggs, boiledpotatoes, onions, mustard, salt, oil of Lucca, vinegar andanchovy sauce.

2. The condiments needed to spice up the salad are mustard andsalt.

3. It means that you top the salad with four spoons of oil ofLucca.

4. An anchorite is a hermit who has renounced all worldlypleasures. The salad is so delicious and tempting that even aman who has spent his life in austerity in order to achieveheavenly bliss is enticed and lured by it, even on his deathbed he would long for the salad. He would break all his vowsto the Church and give in to the temptation.

5. Eating a tasty and delicious meal is a divine experience. Afterhaving eaten it the poet says that nothing can happen to him.Even fate, which is a combination of supernatural forces,cannot harm him. This is a hyperbole, to enhance the effectof the piquant, scrumptious salad.

Word power Page 72

A. The students can follow these suggestions while writing theanswers.

29

• the poet requests his readers to

• do not consider it

• a person who has a fancy for adding herbs

• it would tempt

• the onions are added in small measure and yet make thewhole salad pungent

B. The students can find the meanings of the words and then framethe sentences.


The students should try writing the recipe on their own. However,a sample recipe is given.

First pound the yellow of two hard boiled eggs.Then pass two boiled potatoes through a sieve.Add finely chopped onions.Add a spoon of mustard and salt for taste.Top it with four spoons of oil of Lucca.Add a small measure of anchovy sauce.The delicious and divine salad is ready to be served.


The students can imagine that he/she is the anchorite. He has spenthis entire life in austerity and ascetism. He has renounced all thepleasures in order to attain divine bliss and salvation. But all thoseyears of self denial, sacrifice and rigorous self discipline have beenwashed out. He is tempted by the salad. He wants to indulge andsatiate his senses. The salad is an evil demonic tempter that hasruined a lifetime of hard work.

ButterfingersComprehension Page 73

1. A person who lets things fall or slip.

2. The father in the poem was butterfingered because when heraised his plate for more toast, his wife told him to be careful.

30

He retorted that he had never dropped anything but the nextmoment he dropped the toast.

3. Mother cautioned him and told him not to drop the toast.This implies that he must be dropping things regularly.


The students can write the following exclamations.

1. What a wonderful party it was!

2. Oh! This is so exhilarating and thrilling!

3. Oh my God! I am going to be late again! I’m in a soup!

4. This is incredible! Mr Magician, where has my brothervanished!

5. Whoa! We’ve done it! We have won the match!

B. The students can add the following lines:

Father looks at the toast accusingly—he is flustered—leaves in a hurry—he trips over the buttered toast lying on the floor…

Cheeni Chor’s Secret Sweet DishComprehension page 81

1. Panga was annoyed with Cheeni Chor because she did notdisclose the password, did not give her ID proof and shemade fun of Panga by calling him ‘Mr Nanga Panga’.

2. She reports about her morning expedition in the kitchen;informs Ms Khanna-Peena about the dead cockroaches thathad been removed; the piece of biscuit that had been pickedup and requests Ms Khanna Peena to send a retrieval team topick up the fat dead moth on the kitchen window.

3. She is not satisfied. She remarks sarcastically that CheeniChor had been away for two hours but her report/pickingsare not satisfactory.

4. She concealed the fact that she had spent most of the hotsummer morning inside a cool fridge, atop a half-open jam jarof delicious home-made strawberry jam.

31

5. Panga has to secretly follow Cheeni Chor and find out whatshe does on her long trips. Cheeni Chor was suspected ofbeing involved in activities that were against the interests ofthe colony.

6. Cheeni loses her balance when Panga suddenly announcesthat she is under arrest. Losing her footing she tumbles rightinto the jar of jam. She struggles desperately in the sticky-sweet mass.

7. Cheeni Chor started calling Panga, Panga Sahib because shewanted his help to get out of the jam bottle.

8. No, Panga was not able to rescue Cheeni Chor. He did notwant to take the risk as he too would get stuck in the stickyjam. He presumed she was dead when the jam jar was takenout of the fridge.

9. The jam was spooned out on to a plate. Cheeni was carefullylifted off her strawberry island with a knife and flicked off.She landed softly on the carpet and scuttled off as fast as shecould.

Word power page 82

A. Students have to underline the words given in the box thatdescribe Cheeni Chor.

• arrogant

• corrupt

• intelligent

• popular

• rude

• carefree

• sarcastic

• fearless

B. Students have to replace the highlighted words with suitableadverbs of their choice. They can use the following suggestions whiledoing this exercise.

1. restlessly

32

2. angrily

3. unhappily

4. coolly

5. brightly

6. furtively

7. delightfully

8. badly

C. Students have to make sentences with the given phrases. Theteacher can first discuss them in class. Some students can read outtheir sentences in class. This will help those who are unable to makegood sentences. They can improve their work by listening to others.

Write the answers page 82

1. The fridge was like a huge, golden Alladin’s cave. It was fullof delicious goodies; great slabs of chocolate, a big bag ofmulti-flavoured sweets, some sharp peppermints; delicioussquashes and sauces; a huge chocolate cake glistening withicing. Cheeni Chor was awed by the riches; he sampled andsavoured them one by one. Each time the door of the fridgeopened it was flooded with golden light.

2. Panga secretly followed the unsuspecting Cheeni Chor up thekitchen wall, through the window, along a narrow pipe; nearlybumped into her at the top of the fridge door, and duckedout of sight in time; the door opened and he lost sight ofCheeni Chor. The second time the door opened he scuttledin. Soon he espied Cheeni Chor feeding happily from a jamjar at the back of the fridge.

3. The jar with Cheeni on the strawberry jam was taken out ofthe fridge. The jam was spooned out on to a plate and CheeniChor carefully lifted off her strawberry island with a knife andflicked off. She fell softly on the carpet and quickly scuttledoff.

4. The password means that the secret of the fridge with deliciousfood, and the episode of her almost drowning in the strawberryjam will remain between Panga and Cheeni Chor.

33


This is a group activity. The teacher can guide the students and helpthem frame sentences. They can be given some time to prepare.


A. Students have to write a character sketch of Cheeni Chor. Somedescriptive words have already been given in Word Power A. Classdiscussion can be followed by individual work.

B. Students have to explain the thoughts of Panga in their ownwords. Individual activity can be followed by class discussion.Students can use the following suggestions to frame their answers.

Panga will curse himself—never forgive himself if he told the otherants in the colony about the fridge with delicious goodies. Thesedays everyone talked of individual progress, private companies,competition in business. Sharing was not the order of the day—ithad been discarded long ago. If one wants to be successful he mustachieve it by hook or by crook, keeping his own interests in mind,giving them top priority.

C. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. There can be aclass discussion before they write the answer individually. The teachercan instruct them to make paragraphs.


The teacher can encourage students to gather as much informationas possible from books, internet and make interesting reports withpictures.

Strawberry BonanzaComprehension Page 86

1. Everyone helped in making the jam. Peter, father and Mr vanDan lugged the crates into the kitchen, Anne got hot waterfrom the water heater, Margot went to get a bucket.

2. The line that first makes us suspect that things are not quitenormal is ‘Are we really in hiding?’ Everyone was busy makingjam even though they were in hiding. People are generally very

34

cautious and don’t make so much noise in such situations;everyone seems to be very happy, etc.

3. When the doorbell rings twice all activity stops; people in thehouse stick to the house rule of ‘no running water’ as thedrains might be heard. The reaction is normal as the peopleare in hiding and do not want to be discovered.

4. The accountant had come. Mr Kugler did not want him tosee Peter as he was supposed to be in hiding. So he askedPeter to go upstairs.

5. Mr Kugler sees, smells strawberries everywhere; everyone isinvolved in some way or the other with them, either boilingthem or washing them. Mr Kugler had them for breakfast, Janhad them for lunch, Kleiman was eating them as snack.

6. Teenagers do not have patience to shell peas which is a tediousjob. The same procedure has to be repeated again and again—snap the end, strip the pod, pull the string, put the pod inthe pan. Ann took the major decision to never become amere housewife while stripping peas.

7. strawberry crates were lugged into the kitchen• hot water was obtained from the water heater• the strawberries were washed before hulling• the family was hulling strawberries around the kitchen

tables• more strawberries were eaten than hulled• the jar lids came unsealed• the jam was bottled in jars

Word power Page 87

A. Students have to make sentences. The teacher can discuss andexplain the use of these words before the sentences are made.

B. Students have to fill in the most appropriate adjectives fromthose given in the box.

1. playful children 2. cherry red strawberries

3. wretched housewife 4. trendy teenagers

5. overworked mother 6. stuffed bookcase

35

7. musical doorbell 8. overcrowded train


1. The kitchen was overcrowded. Ann found the Annexecontingent and the Supply Corps all mixed up together. Inthe middle of the day curtains and windows were open, loudvoices and banging of doors could be heard. The family washulling strawberries but eating most of them.

2. Strawberries were eaten for breakfast, lunch and as a snack.They were eaten with porridge, buttermilk, bread, with sugarand for dessert.

3. Shelling peas was tedious as the same procedure had to berepeated and Ann had no patience. She had to snap the end,strip the pod, pull the string and put the pod in the pan.


Students will write an informal letter. The teacher can hold a briefclass discussion before the writing task is done individually. Theletter can be written in the past tense. The teacher can guide thestudents to make it humorous and interesting.

Enrichment activities Page 87

The teacher can encourage students to express themselves in theirown way without hesitation.

Theme: Girl ChildThe Why-Why Girl


1. Moina’s family was from the poor, landless tribe of Sabars.Her mother wove baskets though she was lame, her father hadgone to Jamshedpur in search of work and her brother, Goro,went to the forest to collect wood.

2. The village postmaster called Moina the ‘why-why girl’. Moinawas stubborn and unyielding. She kept saying ‘why’ foreverything.

36

3. Moina belonged to the poor, landless tribe called Sabars.They generally did not send their daughters to work. ButMoina had to work as her mother was lame, her father hadgone to Jamshedpur in search of work and her brother wentto the forest to collect firewood.

4. The school timings were from 9 to 11 in the morning. Moinahad to graze the Babu’s cows and was free only after eleven.She wanted to study to get answers to her innumerablequestions.

Word power Page 94

A. Students’ personal responses can be accepted if they are suitable.The following suggestions can be utilised while answering thisquestion.

1. nod your head when you agree with someone

2. cross your arms when you want to look stern or

sound firm

3. shake a finger to warn

(at someone)

4. scratch your head when you are in deep thought

3. bite your nails when you are nervous

4. stick out your tongue when you have said or donesomething embarrassing

B. Students have to think of compound words that suit Moina’spersonality. This exercise requires students’ personal responses. Itaims at testing their creativity. It is suggested to have a class discussionbefore the written work is done.

C. Students have to expand the contractions.

1. Why should I not catch a cobra?

2. Do not forget to thank Babu for the rice.

3. Did I not have to sweep the cowshed for him?

37

4. You will get a stomach pain if you do not wash your handsbefore eating.

5. Will you not come to the new school?

D. Students have to identify the contractions that show possession.

The teacher can explain the rule by writing more sentences on theblackboard before asking the students to do this exercise.

1. Moina’s hut

2. none

3. Babu’s goats

4. Babu’s sons

5. none


A. Students have to fill in the blanks with the words given in thebox.

1. fearless

2. dutiful

3. logical

4. sentimental

5. rational

B. Moina expressed a desire to learn to read because she wanted toknow the answers to her innumerable/endless questions.

C. Students have to write the observations of mother, the villagepostmaster and the author about Moina, and say whether they areright or not. Opinions may vary. All viewpoints as long as thereasons are appropriate can be accepted.

Some suggestions regarding the observations:

• Mother found Moina ‘obstinate and unyielding’

• The village postmaster called her the ‘why-why girl’

• The author found her questioning attitude healthy; Moinawas eager to learn

38

D. Reference to context

1. Moina is saying this to Malati Bonal, the Samiti teacher.

2. The speaker is angry because the school is closed. Its timingsdon’t suit her. She wants the school timings to change so thatshe can attend it after eleven.

3. She threatens to tell the old lady that goatherds and cowherdslike her cannot attend school if the timings are not changedto suit them.

4. She saw the author and fled from there.


This is a group activity. The groups can be formed with great care.A time period of two to three days can be given for preparation.


A. Students have to write a letter. Class discussion can be followedby individual work. Students’ personal response can be encouraged.

B. Students have to write a notice. The teacher can hold a classdiscussion before the writing task is done individually. Theinformation needs to be presented accurately and concisely.

C. Students can be encouraged to go beyond the text and imaginethe events that helped Moina to become a teacher. The teacher candiscuss the important features of Moina’s character. The key wordscan be written on the blackboard.

D. Since it is a speech, sentences can be short. Interrogative andexclamatory forms can be frequently used. The speech can concludewith emphasis on the importance of girl’s education.

Burning the Rice FieldComprehension Page 102

The students will give the following answers.

1. Keiko was on top of a small mountain by the shore. So shefelt an earthquake below her feet.

2. They wanted to see the spectacular new stretch of ribbed

39

sand, and admire and collect the beautiful new shells so theyran to the beach.

3. Yes. The others were not worried. They did not heed herwarnings. Keiko’s grandfather had told her that just before atidal wave the sea suddenly and quickly rolled back.

4. She was accused of purposely lighting fire to their crops. Theythought she had gone mad.

5. Keiko did not reply to the accusations because no one wouldhave believed her. Secondly, she knew that very soon thetruth would be revealed and people would understand whyshe had burned the rice field.

Word power Page 102

A. Students have to complete the word grid.

Down1. annihilate2. impending3. debris4. spectacular

Across5. desolation6. enormous

B. Students have to make sentences with the given phrasal verbs.They can be encouraged to find the meanings of the phrases withthe help of a dictionary and then explain their use.


1. Keiko had felt several earthquakes before. This was differentfrom them. It was not strong. It was odd. It had a long, slow,spongy motion.

2. Her grandfather’s words that before a great tidal wave the seasuddenly and quickly rolled backward proved to be useful.

3. They did not believe her warning of the impending danger.They found the sight of the sea rolling back and the newshells on the beach spectacular. They laughed at her andromped in the new sand, watching the sea roll further back.

40

4. Keiko burnt the sun-dried stalks in the fields. The flamingfields could be seen and everyone ran to the mountain.

5. The powerful, thunderous roar of the colossal wave drownedthe shrieks of the people.

6. They celebrated the fact that they were still alive.


The students can be divided into groups of five with great care.Roles may be taken according to the capability of the student. Thegroup that performs the best can enact the scene in front of theother sections too.

Writing skills page 103

A. Students have to write a newspaper report. They must give asuitable headline, followed by the name of the reporter below it.Paragraphs can be made. The opening sentence can be very powerful.The conclusion can be strong enough to leave an impact on thereader. You may ask the students to read some newspaper reports onsuch natural calamities.

B. Students are required to write a speech. You can tell the studentsto address the audience directly. They can begin by thanking for theaward. Then they can narrate the incidents leading to burning of thefields; the humiliation experienced when accused of intentionallydestroying the crops; then sum it up with a sudden change ofattitude. They can conclude the speech by saying that what they didwas not for applause, but out of duty to save the people.


Students can be encouraged to do thorough research on such women.

I Talk of Roses, She of ThornsComprehension Page 106The students will give the following answers.

1. The author makes such a remark because there is nothingdelicate, soft or dainty about her. She is tough; works fromdawn to dusk in the rose field; her dark hands are bruised andhardened by thorns.

41

2. Narayani wants to grow and sell roses; she is only interestedin the price the roses fetch her.

3. a. She does not know that roses are sent to Arab landswhere men turn them into rose water, ‘attar’ and ‘gulkand’.

b. She has not seen a rose in a vase for making a room lookbeautiful. She says ‘What use are roses in house like mine?’

c. A farmer grows potatoes or wheat not only to sell but toconsume them as well. Narayani sees no other value in theroses except the money she makes from them.

4. The woman want to be paid in grains and not cash. Theirhusbands take the money and squander it on alcohol. If theyget grain at least they can feed their children and the familycow.

5. Yes the title is appropriate. The following hints can be use toframe the answer: women work in rose fields; grow the mostbeautiful, dainty and fragrant flower; they cannot appreciateits beauty; only interested in the price they fetch; pricked bythorns; fragrance surrounds them but does not touch them.

NOTE: Students’ responses can be accepted if they are relevant.

Word power Page 106

A. Students can complete the sentences using ‘little’, ‘few’ and‘much’ appropriately.

1. little

2. many

3. few

4. much

5. little

6. much

B. Students can write the meanings of the time phrases.

1. when at last

2. short while

3. time which cannot be stated definitely, but very soon

42

4. almost immediately; very soon

5. do it slowly and do not hurry

6. one must change in the same way as society has changed/developed recently; keep up to date.

C. Students can join the pairs of sentences with not only….but also

1. Not only do we work hard in the fields, but also at home.

2. Not only is attar made from roses, but also gulkand.

3. Not only will she have to study hard, but also score goodmarks in the exams.

4. Not only is it wise to listen to your parents, but also helpfulto listen to them.

5. Not only does Nita love to eat ice creams and chocolates, butalso enjoys eating vegetables.

Write the answers Page 107The students will give the following answers.

1. They dig the earth and prepare the soil; prune and manicurethe bush; pluck the small pink blooms from amidst the thornswhen they are ready; gather the blooms in their saree pallu;roses are weighed and the women sell them by the maund.

2. Manju works to earn so that her husband, who is a medicalstudent can pass college and become a doctor. She has passedtenth class. One of them had to give up studies and it hadto be her.

3. A farmer sells and consumes the potatoes he grows. Narayanionly grows roses for the price they fetch her. She does notbeautify her home with them or use the products made outof them.


A. Students will write a formal letter. Students may be permitted towrite their own answers after discussing in class. Enough inputs areprovided in the text itself. Some suggestions are given that will helpthem to write the letter:

• very poor people

• work hard in the fields

43

• wages are very low

• husbands take the money and squander on alcohol

• should give grains also

• so that they can feed children and family cows

B. The diary entry can be given as homework. The students can beadvised to write the diary in first person. Students’ personal responsecan be encouraged.


Students may be encouraged to do extensive research for thispresentation. They can collect latest facts and figures to supporttheir arguments.

BirdComprehension Page 109

Answers are given.

1. The poet compares Mary Lou to a horse and a gazelle becauseher body is sturdy like a horse’s; her movements are swift,quick and graceful like an antelope’s.

2. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. The followingsuggestions may be taken into account: canon; football;twirling; whizzing; sturdy; speed; whirlwind

3. Before seeing Mary Lou’s gymnastics the poet felt that it wasjust another ordinary, neglected sport; not very popular. Afterseeing her gymnastics she realised people appreciate gymnastics;in the packed auditorium the poet’s heart soar like a comet;electricity surged through her brain; she was proud of the girland her country.

4. She is called a magic girl because like a bird she twirls herbody; seems to fly swiftly; she is sprightly and agile like a bird;the packed auditorium is mesmerised by her performance.

5. Yes, the image is apt. Her movements are nimble, athletic,acrobatic and graceful like a bird’s. She twirls and twists andpresents the image of a bird flying and gliding.

44

6. The poet is proud of her country and the girl. Hence sheexperiences double pleasure.

7. The ribbons on Mary Lou’s neck signify that she is aprofessional who has won many medals and enjoys wideacclaim and appreciation.

8. The following lines underline Mary Lou’s achievement: ‘thepacked auditorium’; ‘magic girl’; ‘Gymnastics used to be justanother sport until I saw Mary Lou’; ‘ribbons hanging fromher neck’.

Word power Page 109

Students’ personal response can be encouraged. The followingsuggestions can be taken into account while framing the answers.

horse – sturdy, dignified

canon fire – speed

whirlwind – agile, nimble

football – violently whizzing through air; acrobatic

bird – sprightly

Sir Donald DimplechinComprehension Page 112

Answers are given.

1. The king never asked him to battles; he wanted to dosomething daring to make a name for himself, but was notgiven the opportunity; he longed to join Arthur’s RoundTable; he felt overlooked and ignored.

2. He sent his boy attendant/messenger to go and search for amaiden in trouble. He would rescue her and prove his bravery.He might also marry her.

3. The page saw a young girl pacing round a room. She seemedto be nervous and distressed. She was all alone in the chamber.She looked out at the horizon from each window turn byturn. She looked worried and appeared to be waiting forsomeone.

45

4. The knight had come with a ladder to rescue the girl. Whenhe shouted for her she thought he needed help. She camedown within seconds, much to the surprise of the knight.The girl explained that she was the new firefighter and hadused the fireman’s pole to come down.

5. ‘Pun’ is the humorous use of a word in a way that suggeststwo or more interpretations. Here cracks in the armour thatis the knight’s plan to show his bravery is not perfect. It has‘cracks’, it will fail or make him feel embarrassed.

6. The twist lies in the fact that the damsel is not in distress.She is a firefighter who rescues people in trouble.

Word power Page 113

Students have to make sentences. You may explain the meaningsand encourage the students to use the dictionary.


A. Students have to complete the sentences.

1. prove his bravery.

2. a girl in distress.

3. a craggy faced man who came out of the bushes.

4. build a ladder.

5. it was difficult to carry the tall and heavy ladder.

6. they were dry and had stinging hairs.

B. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. This can be anindividual activity followed by class discussion. Enough inputs areprovided in the text itself.

Writing skills page 114

It is an interesting topic for discussion. After they have discussed thetopic in pairs for a while, they can share their views with the class.Students may be permitted to write their own answers after discussingin the class. The following suggestions may be followed:

ancient ambience: knight, Arthr’s Round Table; wore armour;page-boy; damsel to save; sinister tower; etc.

46

modern characteristics: the girl is a new firefighter; she rescuespeople caught in fire accidents; the old man.

LectureComprehension page 115

1. The poet is annoyed when people/grown ups tell childrennot do things they want to do.

2. The poet’s advice on sailing is one should learn to sail. Thepoet’s advice on teaching is one should learn to teach.

3. The poet mentions the following professions: sailing, teaching,truck driver, building barns/farming, weaving, veterinarymedicine. These professions have to be learnt or studied. Oneneeds to practice and work hard to become proficient inthem.

4. The poet has so much faith in the girl because she is verygood and perfect in whatever she does. She is very conscientiousand meticulous in her work.

Word power Page 115

Students have to explain the context in which these expressionshave been used in the poem.

1. get/feel very upset and saddened

2. make a building for storing hay and grain for housing livestockor farm equipment which actually means to do farming orbecome a farmer.

3. you have your own individuality

4. become a veterinary


Students’ personal response can be encouraged. The teacher can givethe students a day or two to collect details. She can choose goodspeakers for the debate to make it interesting. The debate can befollowed up with open class discussion. Students can be encouragedto express their views freely.

47

It Does Not Become YouComprehension Page 116The answers are given.

1. Yes the speaker is Puti’s mother. Like a mother she keepstelling her daughter what to do and what not to do. She doesnot approve of her questioning attitude. She wants Puti to bedainty. Like a typical / traditional girl she must take interestin her appearance, learn to do housework as she has to someday take care of a home.

2. As she is a girl, Puti should not take interest in politicalissues. She should not concern herself with world’s problems.This is the men’s domain.

3. A young girl should look pretty. She should bathe, oil andcomb her hair, apply powder and put a dot on her forehead,put flowers in her hair and drape a colourful saree. She shouldget organised to run a home.

4. Puti does not agree with her mother insisting that she shouldwear traditional clothes. She seems to be having an independentmind of her own.NOTE: Other relevant answers can be accepted.

Word power Page 117

Students have to find meaning of the phrases give in the box andmake sentences with them.

• nuclear treaty agreement (by signing documents) notto use atomic weapons

• right to freedom fundamental right to be free to say or

do anything

• delayed justice failure to grant justice in time

• life imprisonment a convict must spend rest of his life

in prison

• glum face look sorrowful or depressed

• frisk about to skip or move around in a lively or

playful way

48


The students should try answering them on their own.

1. No. She prevents her daughter from pursuing her interests.She does not approve of women discussing world issues likenuclear treaty, or capital punishment and life imprisonment.The speaker prefers women to look beautiful, take interest intheir appearance, and set up homes.

2. Capital punishment means death penalty. Life imprisonmentmeans that a convict must spend the rest of hislife in prison

3. It is not appropriate for girls to skip about in a playful manner.The narrator sounds stern and firm. She does not believe ingiving girls much freedom. The reaction can depend on thestudents’ personal response.


The teacher can guide the students to frame the dialogue. They canbe given some time to think before they start writing. The teachercan elicit some typical mother-daughter argument/confrontation fromthe students in the class. After this class discussion the writing taskmay be completed at home. The teacher may select one or twogood pieces and ask students to enact the scene in the class.


Students can be encouraged to be as creative as possible.

Theme: Growing UpWhy Did You Call Me Percy?


1. Some of the names that Percy would like to have are thefollowing: David, Fred, Wayne, Sam, Conan, Keith, Eddie,Rod, Cliff, Rick, Jimmy, Ben, Phil, Geoff, Elvis, John, Mick.Students’ personal response can be entertained.

2. The poet wants to be called Keith because he sings and dances

49

on stage and plays guitar with his teeth. He is popular andtalented.

3. The answer to this question can depend on students’ personalresponse.

4. The poet hates his name because it is the name of someonewho does simple and very ordinary things. He could be acook or someone who brings apples for his teacher, presseswild flowers in a book, goes skipping through the country,keeps a budgie for a pet, cries when soap gets into his eyes orwhen his feet get wet. He hates the name. Unfortunately hewill have to stick/stay with it for the rest of his life.


A. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. It can be a healthyclass discussion where students can express themselves without anyinhibitions.

B. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. Some studentscan read out their paragraphs and share their feelings with others.

C. A simple but interesting exercise which students will enjoy andfind relaxing. They can share their individual responses with theclass.

D. The students can be given a day or two to prepare the elocution.You may insist that it has to be humorous. This activity will relaxthe atmosphere and students will learn to be creative. You can alsoread out few humorous pieces to them before they begin this task.

Cat EnvyComprehension Page 122

1. The cat is happy as she is. She does not have to worry aboutwhat she looks like or what country she is from. Suddenchange in people’s behaviour does not bother her. No onewill tell her to clean her room. She continues to sleep soundly,unperturbed.

2. The poet gets yelled at for getting her empty cup down, fornot cleaning her room, for getting late for school.

50

3. She is not happy at being told to clean her room. She enviesthe cat who will never be told to do this task.

Word power Page 123

Students will have to write what the following expressions mean.

1. People are never satisfied. They keep wishing for what theydon’t have.

2. The cat sometimes cleans/grooms herself. No one tells her toget ready everyday.

3. if you don’t hurry up


The teacher can divide the class into two groups. Students’ personalresponse can be encouraged. The teacher can let the shy studentsexpress themselves freely. The teacher may gradually contribute somepoints to help make the debate interesting. Ample time forpreparation can be given.


This task may be given as homework. A brief class discussion can beheld. The teacher may remind them to mention their daily routine,the number of times people have ordered them to do things andwrite their feelings very honestly.

Kid StuffComprehension Page 124

1. Death and destruction caused by bombs and other destructiveweapons have kindled a desire in us to once again appreciatenature and go back to the good old days.

2. The kid was Jesus Christ. The ‘idea’ was to have peace andbrotherhood on earth.

3. What happened two thousand years ago may be just a storypassed from generation to generation. Only children believein them. The story that three wise men followed the star toreach the manger where Lord Jesus was born and Santa comingand giving gifts every Christmas is too childish; it soundsunrealistic to adults.

51

Word power Page 125

A lot of death and destruction has been caused by bombs and otherdestructive weapons. It is unfortunate that science, which hasdeveloped tremendously, has been used for destructive purposes.This devastation has reached such dangerous heights that wise peoplewant to go back to the days of peace and brotherhood, solve themystery of stars, gain knowledge. They once again want to live in aworld of strange stories/close to nature.


1. ‘The bombs crash’ refers to the nuclear/atomic age which hascaused untold death and destruction on earth.

2. Childish stories; stories which only small children will believein.

NOTE: Students’ response may be encouraged

3. ‘The real wise guy are’ those who are in power, influentialpeople; highly placed people.

4. The thematic links between the two stanzas are the following:

• ‘three wise guys’ and ‘ real wise guys’• ‘chased a star’ and ‘chasing stars’• ‘Christmas is Kid Stuff’ and ‘some of that Kid Stuff’• ‘two thousand years ago’ and ‘born two thousand years

ago’

William and PhotographyComprehension Page 132

1. No. She seldom met William as she lived very far. She neversaw William in his true colours.

2. It was an unusual race invented by William. He was runningwith one of his friends. Each one had his mouth full withwater. One who could run the farthest without eitherswallowing it or discharging it won the race.

3. William’s mother thought that he could make up for thelapse by gifting his godmother something nice on her birthday.

52

4. He wanted to give his godmother a book on Ancient Historygiven to him by Uncle George. He was not keen on readingthat book.

5. It was finally decided that they would have William’sphotograph taken and sent to Mrs Crane as a gift.

6. They could not find someone to escort William to thephotographer on the day of the appointment. Mrs Brown wasdown with a bad cold, Mr Brown was at office, Robert refusedto go with him. After an hour’s discussion William’s eldersister, Ethel was almost bribed into escorting him to thestudio. She took her friend along with her for moral support.

7. He had been washed and brushed, combed and manicured.For William cleanliness had no association with happiness.Much to his annoyance and against his wishes he had beendressed in his best suit which had an uncomfortable stiffcollar. He had to wear gloves too.

8. William would greet his friends in a very friendly and informalmanner, like giving a friendly punch and a war cry.

9. He tried to exercise self-control but was not successful. Eachtime the photographer walked back to his camera after finalisingWilliam’s pose, the boy moved. The entire drill had to berepeated. He savagely bared his teeth when he was told tosmile. William did not change his ferocious expression forthe better. In fact it turned into one of immense rage andfury. It frightened the photographer. William feltuncomfortable in his clothes and did not like all the fuss thatwas being made.

10. Ethel had great fun at William’s expense. She enjoyed seeinghim feel uncomfortable; her morning was not wasted after all.

NOTE: Students’ personal response to be accepted, if relevant

Word power Page 133

A. Students have to choose the correct meaning from those given.

1. a.

2. b.

3. b.

53

B. Students have to make nouns from the given verbs.

• bribe – bribery

• select – selection

• corrupt – corruption

• humiliate – humiliation

• describe – description

• mystify – mystification

• exhaust – exhaustion

• recognise – recognition

• express – expression

C. Students have to make sentences of their own. You may discussthe phrases and explain their usage. After that students can completethe task.


1. In trying to answer with his mouth full of water he sprayedit all on to his godmother.

2. Yes, the photographer was a patient man. He kept adjustingWilliam’s pose. He tried to make him smile by referring tothings and occasions boys love the most. He tolerated William’sabsolute non-cooperation in the photograph session.

NOTE: Other suitable viewpoints can also be accepted.

3. Everyone wore their best suit on Sundays because they wentto Church; they met people; they socialised. On other daysthey wore casual clothes like a jersey.

4. a. William said this. The ‘she’ here is his godmother.

b. ‘That’ refers to the book about Ancient History, gifted byUncle George to William.

c. William makes this suggestion because he does not wantto read the book/not interested in books/finds it an easyway to please his godmother.

5. a. The speaker here is Ethel, William’s elder sister.

54

b. ‘It’ refers to William’s face/his funny expressions at thephotographer’s studio which Ethel found very hilarious/priceless.

c. ‘It’ was funnier than the pantomime. For years to comeif Ethel ever feels depressed, she just has to think ofWilliam’s face.

6. The two topics that William touched upon on his letter wererain and hole in his stocking. They were not appropriatetopics.

7. She was extremely touched both by the letter and thephotograph. She regretted having misunderstood William.She found him quite good-looking and smart. She was notright in her assessment of William.

NOTE: Students’ response may be encouraged.


A. The teacher can read out the lines first. Then she can choosesome students to read out the same lines. This exercise aims atimproving the students’ capability to read with appropriate emotions.

B. This is a very interesting activity. Talented students may be selectedto enact this scene. Chance may be given to more students after theyhave been inspired on seeing the first group perform.


A. Class discussion may be followed by individual work. You canelicit the examples from the students and write them on theblackboard. Enough input is available in the text.

B. The diary entry may be given as homework. The task requiresstudents’ personal response. They can have a class discussion beforethey write the diary entry. The next day some of the students canread out their diary entries.

C. Individual work may be followed by the exchange of notebooksto detect errors.

55

I’m Not Butter ChickenComprehension Page 138

1. Nitya shouted back at her father saying that she was not abutter chicken to be ordered around.

2. Nitya assumed that her mother would like to forgive her ruderemark saying she’s a teenager; father would want to punishher saying that she does not deserve sympathy or hisunderstanding. It was a long time since she got a scolding.

3. Nitya realised it was a pretty rude thing to say. She was afraid,nervous. She wanted her father to come and scold her andend the tension/suspense.

4. Nitya imagined that they were laughing at her/her misery.

5. She was alone in her room; she could hear her parents laugh;she was in grief, despair. She felt that no one was concernedabout her. She felt neglected and sad.

6. Nitya’s mother called her to see a hilarious TV show/programme.

7. Nitya thought that it was a trap because no one scolded her,reprimanded her for her rude behaviour/remark. She thoughtthat they must be calling her to get her out of the confinesof her room and scold her. Sitting on the sofa between themwould make it difficult for her to run.

8. No one scolded her; they invited her to join them in seeingthe hilarious TV show; her father lovingly pulled her to him,hugged her, smiled and said she was right. He could not orderher as she was not a butter chicken. Her parents had understoodher sentiments.

Word power Page 138

A. tender; delicate; approaching a water body; the room filled withlaughing lions that is, her parents.

B. Students have to fill in the blanks with appropriate phrasal verbsfrom those given in the box.

1. got away

56

2. far away

3. looked away

4. let her mother down

5. let Sandy have

6. come up

C. You can explain to the students that synonyms nearly have thesame meaning but not exactly the same meaning.

1. incredible

2. exertion

3. engulfed

4. hesitated

5. hilarious

6. overwhelmed


1. a. Father says to his daughter Nitya.

b. She had earlier remarked in anger to her father that shewas not a butter chicken.

c. He is trying to assure his daughter he loves and understandsher feelings.

NOTE: The teacher can also accept other relevant responses.

2. a. Her parents laughing and calling Nitya to come down hasbeen referred to as being ‘incredible’.

b. She was furious; seething with anger. She thought theywere enjoying her sorrow.

c. Cautiously she stepped downstairs and joined the familyin watching the hilarious programme on the TV.

3. Nitya feared it was a trap to get her out of the safe confinesof her room. She sat next to her mother as she felt her fatherwould definitely scold her. Mother was more forgiving.

4. They had an argument. Nitya could not control her anger. Ina fit of rage she made this rude remark.

57

5. She is scared, petrified, nervous and anxious. The beating ofher heart was so loud that she imagined they were the footstepsof her father coming up.

6. The last line tells us that he loves his daughter; he understands;he knows how to handle a teenage daughter; he is forgiving.

NOTE: The teacher can accept other suitable responses.

7. Nitya’s parents are strict but they understand their daughter’sfeelings. They are forgiving. Her father is firm at times; mothertends to forgive Nitya very often; she often protects her fromfather’s wrath.

8. The different emotions that Nitya goes through are: fear,anxiety, loneliness, grief, tension, nervousness, etc. She wasjustified in her feelings. Her outburst was definitely rude. Itmust have hurt her father. She expected a severe scolding.

NOTE: Students’ suitable personal response can be accepted.


Students’ personal response can be accepted. The teacher can guideand monitor their work. They can be given time to prepare.


A. Students may read out their sentences in class before they compilethem into a paragraph. The teacher can guide the students by writingmore words on the blackboard. They can be encouraged to use adictionary.

B. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. Some of thestudents can read out their experience in class. Individual work canbe followed by class discussion.

C. The teacher can revise the different emotions that Nitya goesthrough and her thoughts. They have been discussed previously.They may conclude the letter with Nitya assuring her parents thatshe loves, respects and admires them.

58

A Bushel of Learning


1. Leslie: plenty of time for Gerry to learn; he can read; willteach him to shoot and sail.

Margo: essential to learn dance or he will grow up to be ashy boy/an awkward youth

Larry: Gerry should have a good, solid base in literature;rest of the knowledge will follow naturally; encourageshim to read good books.

2. Larry found a bumble-bee in his cigarette box. Leslie sufferedbecause of a grasshopper. Margo found a jar full of revoltingwriggling things on her dressing table.

3. George, who was an old friend of Larry’s and had come toCorfu to write, was finally selected to teach Gerry. He hadgot everyone to Corfu. He was well-read and had a library ofbooks.

4. Natural history was Gerald’s favourite subject. It kindled hisenthusiastic but haphazard interest in nature. He realized thatby writing things down he could learn and remember muchmore. He was always on time for lessons on natural history.

5. George added a touch of zoology to the study of geographyand history. Giant maps were filled with places of interestalong with drawings of exciting fauna to be found there.Chief products of Ceylon were tapirs and tea; of Indian tigersand rice; of Australian kangaroos and sheep; oceans carriedwhales, albatross, penguins and walrus along with hurricanes,trade winds, etc. To make history interesting, he added somecompletely irrelevant details, like the first words of Columbuson setting foot in America were: ‘Great heavens, look…a jaguar!’

Word power Page 146

A. Students have to fill in collective nouns

1. school

59

2. tuft

3. bunch

4. pile

5. army

6. herd

7. nest

8. loaf

B. Students have to explain the compound words given in the boxand make sentences with them.

• knock-kneed: someone who has legs which turn inwards atthe knees

• high-pitched: voice which is very high and often shrill in tone

• tongue-tied: unable to say anything out of shock/nervousness/shyness

• blunt-nosed: has a flat nose

• cross-eyed: eyes that look towards each other

• dark-skinned: brown/black skin

C. Students have to cross out the noun that does not match theadjective.

1. a.

2. a.

3. b.

4. b.

5. b.

6. b.

7. b.

8. b.


1. a. Larry is the speaker. He is talking about Gerry.

b. The ‘one interest’ of the person was to collect insects/fillthings with insects.

60

c. We know that the speaker is seriously concerned about hisinterest because he is worried Gerry might be harmed assome insects are dangerous.

2. a. The narrator, Gerry is saying this line.

b. George was Larry’s friend, who had come to Corfu towrite.

c. The penalty being referred to here is the fact that he hasto teach/educate Gerry, a reluctant student/learner.

d. George’s ‘rash’ act was that he was responsible for theirpresence in Corfu.

e. Yes. Students’ personal response can be invited.

3. His interest was in insects and not studying from books. Hepracticed complicated dancing- steps. Narrator found itdistracting and blamed George for his inability to be proficientin mathematics.

4. The writer is not attentive to the lessons George is teaching.He is more engrossed/interested in watching the actions offlies and cicadas. He has immense interest in insects.


There can be a class discussion about effective teaching andimportance of good books in making education interesting. Thesuggestions can be listed on the blackboard. You can help them inwriting grammatically correct English, and also assist them withpronunciation.


A. Students have to write a character sketch of George. They can beencouraged to express their own views. A class discussion can beheld before individual work. The following suggestions may be takeninto account:

a good teacher—in absence of books he was ready to teach all subjects—ransacked his library for appropriate books—very patient—developedGerry’s interest by introducing zoology in geography and history—meticulously and carefully taught Gerry how to observe and notedown the observations in a diary—changed mathematical problemsto caterpillars eating leaves.

61

B. Students have to write an article on the writer’s obsession forinsects. The students can be asked to list down examples that revealhis passion for insects. Enough input is provided in the text and hasbeen discussed earlier. Hence they should not have any difficulty infinding the points/examples. They can make paragraphs.

C. Students’ personal response can be encouraged. Individual workcan be followed by class discussion. Some students may read outtheir letters. This task can be given as homework.


Students can encouraged to create interesting scrapbooks.

62

Page 1

A. The students will use the given words as different parts of speech.They will write the sentences in their notebooks.

1. right can be used as a noun, adverb, adjective, verb andinterjection.

2. draw can be used as a noun, verb and adjective.

3. study can be used as a noun and a verb.

4. circle can be used as a noun and a verb.

5. fast can be used as an adjective, adverb, verb and a noun.

6. will can be used as a verb, noun and adjective.

7. pack can be used as a noun and verb.

8. cool can be used as an adjective, verb, adverb and a noun.

9. step can be used as a noun, verb and adjective.

10. play can be used as a verb, noun and adjective.

11. ride can be used as a verb, noun and adjective

12. hard can be used as an adjective and adverb.

B. 1. adjective 2. verb 3. verb 4. preposition

5. noun 6. pronoun 7. interjection 8. verb

Abstract NounsPage 2

A. The students will write the synonyms and antonyms of the givenwords.

2. courage (synonym) cowardice(antonym)

3. liberty (synonym) restriction (antonym)

WWWWWORKBOOKORKBOOKORKBOOKORKBOOKORKBOOK

One Word, Many Uses

63

4. attractiveness (synonym), unattractiveness (antonym)

5. shortage (synonym), abundance (antonym)

6. faith (synonym), distrust (antonym)

7. knowledge (synonym), foolishness (antonym)

8. unkindness (synonym), kindness (antonym)

9. disgust (synonym), love (antonym)

10. riches (synonym), poverty (antonym)

Page 3

B. The students will make abstract nouns for the given verbs.

1. defense

2. flattery

3. life

4. choice

5. departed

6. pleasure

7. marriage

8. appearance

9. perseverance

10. prevention

C. The students will make abstract nouns for the given adjectives.

1. falsehood

2. intelligence

3. truth

4. humbleness

5. weakness

6. strength

7. vanity

8. darkness

64

Which Comes First?Page 5

The students will insert the adjectives in the correct order.

1. interesting, middle-aged, new

2. old, black, leather

3. expensive, slim

4. dirty, old, grey

5. several, interesting, short

6. amazing, old, soft, feather

7. big, hot, round

8. round, glass

9. lovely, long, cool

10. exciting, new, Dutch

AdverbsPage 6

A. B. and C. Let the students do this worksheet on their own.

Phrasal VerbsPage 8

A. The students will make 3 phrasal verbs of their own with thegiven prepositions. They will then make sentences with them. Youcan expect answers like:

1. aim at, jump at, pick at

2. add up, catch up, back up

3. get over, come over, pull over

4. catch on, count on, get on

5. call down, get down, mark down

65

C. and D. The students will complete the given sentences usingphrasal verbs.

1. set in

2. set out

3. set off

1. take down

2. take off

3. taking in

What Misha LikesPages 10-12

The students will answer the questions after reading the text.

1. When Misha and Dennis entered the room, Borris was soengrossed in playing the piano that he didn’t even noticethem enter the room. He also said that he loved music morethan anything else in the world. This tells us that Borris lovedmusic very much.

2. According to Borris, music was much greater than songs.

3. Dennis’s favourite things are: dogs, sawing wood, babyelephants, red cavalrymen, the little antelope with pink hooves,ancient warriors, cool stars, horses’ faces. These things tell usthat Dennis was a very matured and well-balanced boy.

4. Misha had a very long list of all sorts of edible things.

5. Misha expected Boris to be happy with his list.

6. On being reminded that his list contained only edible thingsand nothing worthwhile, Misha was embarrassed and addedthe last two things to his list.

7. Greedy, cute and funny.

8. After rattling a long list in almost one breathe, Misha wasexhausted and had nothing in her mind to add to her list.

66

9. By describing Boris’s music as warm and sunny, the writermeant that his music was very lively and enlightened thesurroundings.

Writing an EssayPages 13-14

The students will do this worksheet on their own.

Forming New WordsPage 15

verb noun adjective

work worker working

create creator creative

move movement moving

kindness kind

amuse amusement amusing

saneness sane

walk walker walkable

entertain entertainment entertaining

wideness wide

sympathise sympathy sympathetic

The Present TensePages 16-17

Explain the meaning of habitual truth to the students. You can askthe students to write down five most common things done in theEnglish class. Students can describe the view or a person or anythingthat gains their attention. Give them some more examples ofsentences in simple present tense which talk about future time.

67

The Present Continuous TensePage 18

A. The students will underline the verbs that are in the presentcontinuous tense.

1. am walking

2. is sitting

3. is flapping

4. is casting

B. The students will rewrite the sentences in the present continuoustense.

1. Vandana is painting with water colours.

2. Many people are travelling by Metro these days.

3. The river is flowing down the mountain.

4. The little baby is chattering happily.

5. Everyone is talking about the new Harry Potter book.

C. The students will write the correct sentences in their notebooks.

1. Please help Shobha, she is carrying a heavy bag.

2. At the moment, she is having a wonderful time with hercousins.

3. The child is sleeping peacefully now.

4. My mother is always complaining about my poor handwriting.

5. At the moment, he is living with his friends.

The Present Perfect TensePages 19-20

A. The students will complete the paragraph using present perfecttense.

‘She has left the umbrella, and its pouring,’ said mother.

‘What about her raincoat?’ asked didi. ‘Has she taken that? Anyway,

68

she has not gone far. I know that for sure because she has left herpurse behind. But I am scared because it’s getting darker by theminute.’

‘We have warned her that she must not stay out after dark, so shewill return very soon,’ mother said and sighed.

B. The students will rewrite the given sentences in the presentperfect tense.

1. I have earned my bread.

2. The river has turned the mill.

4. Ashok has worked from morning till night at the factory.

5. We have taken the pledge of dedication to our country.

6. Freedom has brought many responsibilities.

7. We have paid our homage to the great leader

8. We have made an appeal to all to join us in the campaign.

C. The students will choose the correct option for each.

1. for 2. since 3. since 4. for

5. for 6. for 7. for 8. since

9. since 10. for

The Present Perfect Continuous TensePage 21

A. The students will complete the sentences using present perfectcontinuous tense.

1. have been reading

2. have been sitting

3. have been cleaning

4. have been playing

5. have been painting

6. have been waiting

7. have been having

69

8. have been having

9. have been reading

10. have been living

B. The students will rewrite the sentences as directed.

1. Grandfather has been waiting for us at the railway station forover an hour.

2. Rajiv has been working on this project for a month.

3. Tushar and Sumedha have been busy raising funds for theshow.

4. The sports club has been thinking of changing the membershiprules.

5. The classical singer has been practising for years.

6. The foreigners have been touring India extensively. They havebeen travelling for the last two months.

A Mouse’s TalePages 22-23

The students will read the shape poem and answer the questions.

A. The shape of the given poem is that of a mouse’s tail. The shapetells us that the poem is about a mouse and the never-ending fightbetween a cat and a mouse.

B. Yes, the title is appropriate.

C. 1. Fury is a dog.

2. Fury met the mouse in the house.

3. Fury wants a trial as he has nothing else to do. The realreason is the Fury is jealous of the mouse.

D. 1. visit a court

2. bound to follow what has been said

3. The examination and deciding upon evidence, charges, andclaims in court

70

4. wasting our time

E. A mongrel dog is called a cur. Cur is also used for somebodyregarded as mean, cowardly, or otherwise unpleasant. The word tellsus the real nature of Fury. The other two adjectives used are: cunningand old.

Writing to a FriendPage 24

A. Let the students do this exercise on their own.

B. Since this is a personal letter, let the students not only answerMasooma’s questions. You could ask them to include certain otherinformal questions, like Masooma’s well being, they could informher about something interesting. The tone of the letter should bevery casual.

Formal LetterPages 25-26

A. As this is a topic which requires the students to be well informed,you could first discuss the topic in class and then ask them to writethe letter elaborating on the points discussed. They could includethe following in their letter: actual numbers, reason, concerns,safeguards, etc.

B. This letter is meant to highlight unsolved problems. It is a directletter to a figure of authority and hence should contain all theproblems being face alongside their probable solutions. The toneshould be a bit stern.

C. This letter is addressed to a larger audience and is meant fordrawing public opinion. The letter should be short, as it might haveto be fitted in a limited space. Also, the students should keep inmind that the letter should not be too personal, emotional orcontroversial as that would hamper their letter from being published.

71

This or That?Pages 27-28

A. The students will write the meanings of each set of words.

1. conversation: talk

conservation: protection

2. principle: belief

principal: head of an educational institution

3. stationary: motionless

stationery: things used for writing

4. eminent: well-known

imminent: about to happen

5. compliment: praise

complement: balance

6. incidence: rate of occurrence of something

incidents: event

B. The students will fill in the blanks with the correct word.

1. From their conversation, it was clear that they were greatlyinterested in the conservation of wildlife.

2. Since the bus was stationary, I ran down to buy somestationery.

3. The principal of the institute is a lady of firm principle.

4. The eminent economist spoke of the imminent danger of acrash in the stock market.

5. The various incidents in the country only confirm that theincidence of corruption is increasing by the day.

6. The compliment that she got on her birthday complementsher other qualities.

D. The students will make sentences of their own for each.

72

When They Come TogetherPage 29

A. The students will write what the given nouns are used for.

1. people who are employed by a company or an individualemployer

2. people at large

3. number of people organised to function cooperatively as agroup

4. group of people who work together for some criminal purpose

5. number of similar or related things coming one after another

6. group whose members are related in origin, characteristics, oroccupation

B. The students will write 4 uses of the word ‘set’.

1. a set of plans

2. a set of spoons

3. a tea set

4. a set of keys

C. The students will fill in the blanks.

1. team, is

2. was, flock

3. quiver, was

4. group, is

5. set, is

Synonyms and AntonymsPages 30-31

A. The students will complete the given table.

synonym antonym

brave courageous coward

73

lucky fortunate unlucky

difficult hard easy

suffering pain pleasure

fragrant perfumed smelly

delicious tasty tasteless

kind caring unkind

join connect separate

belittle disparage praise

disobey defy obey

display show conceal

fiction falsehood fact

B. The students will use the words in sentences of their own.

C. The students will find the meanings from the dictionary.

Degrees of ComparisonPage 32

A. The students will complete the given table.

B. The students will write the degrees for each sentence.

1. positive

2. comparative

3. positive

4. superlative

5. comparative

6. positive

7. superlative

8. superlative

9. superlative

10. positive

74

11. comparative

12. superlative

Page 33

C. The students will rewrite the sentences without changing themeaning.

1. No food is as healthy as fruits and vegetables.

2. No animal is more cunning than fox.

3. Mt Everest is the highest mountain.

4. Your car is not more fuel-efficient than mine.

5. African forests are the densest forest.

6. No star is as bright as the sun.

7. I enjoy the movie The Jungle Book, the most.

8. I love Ludo better than any other game.

9. Never have I heard as happy a song as this one.

10. Asha is the most melodious singer of all.

D. The students will write the comparative and superlative of eachword.

1. more industrious most industrious

2. heavier heaviest

3. older/elder oldest/eldest

4. worse worst

5. wealthier wealthiest

6. politer/more polite politest/most polite

7. more courageous most courageous

8. less/lesser least

9. more horrible most horrible

10. later/latter latest/last

75

Two LivesPage 35

A. The students will answer the questions after reading the text.

1. Ramabai was a reputed Sanskrit scholar and social reformistof the nineteenth century. Yes, she was different in the waythat no other woman would have thought of at that point oftime. She was not only an awakened soul but also paved wayfor other women to live an independent life.

2. Anant Shatri Dongre was declared an outcast for teachingSanskrit to his wife Lakshmibai against the established socialconvention.

3. The titles of Pandita and Saraswati were conferred on Ramabai.She became famous throughout India because of her knowledgeof scriptures and the realisation of her mission of working foreducation and betterment of women which bore fruit in theform of Arya Mahila Samaj.

4. She went to Pune to start an organisation which materialisedin the form of Arya Mahila Samaj whose sole purpose was towork for the plight of women and to save high cast Hinduwomen from ignorance and social and religious evils.

5. English at that point of time was treated as a polluting languagewhich would introduce women to unwanted ideas andtherefore, it was fit only for men.

The women, more or less were treated as lesser creatures innineteenth century. They were not allowed to read and writeand it was considered against the conventions of the society.

6. The book written by Rokeya was titled Sultana’s Dream. Itwas revolutionary in the way it described the dream of Sultana.Sultana, the central character, reaches a place called Ladylandwhere men are sent to seclusion and women are free to study.She also dreams of women flying planes and driving cars inan age where women didn’t even have the freedom to study.

B. Students can write the paragraphs on their own, on the basis oftheir reading of the passage.

76

C. The students will write the synonyms of the given words.

reputed – known, reckoned

outcast – exile, castaway, abandoned

established – acknowledged, accepted

propagated – expanded, extended

D. The students will write the antonyms of the given words.

criticism – approval, praise

acclaimed – obscure, known

seclusion – company

aggressive – peaceful, calm

E. The students will find the meanings and make sentences on theirown.

Add to CreatePage 37

A. and B. The students will do these exercises on their own.

C. The students will underline the words formed by a prefix or asuffix.

prefix: preface, premature, upbringing, unless

suffix: senseless, meddlesome, engagement, honourable

D. The students will complete the given table.

Subject–Verb AgreementPages 39-41

A. The students will tick the correct option in each sentence.

1. is

2. have

3. means

77

4. love

5. writes

6. like

B. The students will rewrite the sentences correctly.

1. There is a cool breeze blowing outside.

2. Each of the batsmen is wearing gloves.

3 Neither sister knows me.

4. Either Mridula or her sister writes poetry.

5. Each mother was given a gift on Mother’s Day.

6. There is a dirty carpet in the living room.

7. Neither the students nor the teacher was in the playground.

C. The students will fill in the blanks with the correct verbs.

1. like 2. went 3. is 4. was

5. is 6. was 7. makes 8. was

9. as, were 10. won 11. was 12. is

D. The students will tick the correct option in each sentence.

1. was 2. is 3. is 4. were

5. are 6. is 7. has 8. is

The Past TensePage 42

A. The students will fill in the blanks with the past tense of thegiven verbs.

1. taught

2. bought

3. went

4. read

5. memorised

78

6. cooked

7. got

8. loved

9. knew

B. The students will write the simple past tense of the given verbs.

1. left

2. gifted

3. drew

4. sat

5. sank

6. chatted

7. jumped

8. died

C. The students will rewrite the given sentences in the simple pasttense.

1. My mother read the newspaper everyday.

2. I made tea in the evening.

3. Father drove to office everyday.

4. I knew how to solve this problem.

5. Neela understood Manisha very well.

6. Scientists found research work very interesting.

7. The golden bird laid a golden egg everyday.

8. We finished our breakfast at eight o’ clock, and went toschool.

9. They travelled everywhere by train.

10. Nitin carried the books to his class and then took them tothe library.

79

The Past Continuous TensePage 44

A.The students will complete the sentences using the past continuoustense of the verbs in the box.

By the time I came out of the theatre, it was raining. I put on myraincoat and was putting on my cap when a shadow loomed behind.It was getting dark, and at first, I thought it was my own shadow.But soon I knew better. I was being followed. I was so scared thatI could not even scream. With my bag in my hand I was runningthrough the queues of cars and taxis, unmindful of direction. It waspouring hard, and I could feel my body shivering with fright.

B. The students will write the simple past of the given verbs.

1. drove

2. skied

3. carried

4. wrote

5. suffered

6. joked

The Past Perfect TensePage 45

A. The students will complete the given sentences.

2. The marriage reception had started when we reached the venue.

3. The job interview had finished when he fell ill.

4. The bathroom window had broken when I opened it.

5. The traffic signal had stopped functioning when the accidentoccurred.

B. The students will complete the given paragraph.

found, had peeled, planted, took, had turned, planted, had grown,owned, plonked, have lost, have crashed, have made, hit, noticed,had become, grew, have, produced

80

The Past Perfect Continuous TensePage 46

A. The students will fill in the blanks as instructed.

1. had been raining 2. had been saving

3. had been expecting 4. had been talking

5. had been repairing 6. had been waiting

7. had been winning 8. had been acting

Write a StoryPage 47

The students can be asked to name some of their favorite stories.You could ask them what they found interesting in those stories.Ask them to note down the points. While attempting the nextquestion, encourage the students to use their imagination. Ask themto make the story as interesting as possible. They should keep inmind the points they have jotted down.

Notice the NoticePage 48

A. While mentioning the kind of books, students should rememberthat the library is meant to be for children. Also the membershiprule should not be rigid. They can also ask for suggestion etc.

B. The given notice does not follow the format of a notice. NOTICEshould be written above the heading ‘Potter’s wheel to be inaugrated’.The date should be written on the right side. There is no informationabout the event, its venue, relevant duties, etc. Neither is the signaturenor the name of the person issuing the notice has been mentioned.

81

Word PlayPage 50

A. The students will make anagrams with the given clues.

1. silent

2. heart

3. march

4. seaside

5. bleat

6. priest

7. thorn

8. danger

B. Help the students find out the actual phrase

2. our loving shepherd

3. flags hung

4. sons of toil

5. crushing blow

Zero ArticlePage 51

A. The students will correct the given sentences.

1. It takes a year for the earth to go round the sun.

2. My brother went to Mumbai by train.

3. That is the only river in their city.

4. Have you seen the Taj Mahal?

5. Wish you a Happy New Year.

B. The students will fill in the blanks correctly.

1. × , the

2. ×, the

82

3. the

4. the

5. ×

6. the

7. ×

8. × , ×

9. ×

10. the

C. The students will complete the dialogue.

Ashish: Where is × Father?

Manish: In the kitchen.

Ashish: And where is × Mother?

Manish: In the living room.

Ashish: And what about the servants?

Manish: They’ve taken the dogs for a walk.

Ashish: And what about × Ayushi?

Manish: Oh, she’s right here!

ModalsPage 53

A. The students will make sentences on their own as instructed.

B. The students will fill in the blanks using suitable modals.

1. need to

2. may

3. should

4. must

5. should

6. would

7. will

83

8. should

9. may

10. should

C. The students will rewrite the sentences using the given modals.

1. You must dump the garbage only in the garbage can.

2. Hunting must be prohibited.

3. All picnickers welcome here.

4. You cannot park the car.

5. You must not litter the ground.

6. Drinks must be strictly forbidden on the plane.

D. The students will write the functions of the modals in thesentences.

1. request 2. advice 3. please 4. order 5. advice

Prepositional PhrasesPage 55

A. The students will fill in the blanks with prepositions from thebox.

1. amidst

2. within

3. across

4. at

5. under

6. before

7. amidst

8. around, through

9. about

10. of

84

Page 56

B. The students will underline the prepositional phrases in each.

1. leading to

2. look after

3. on account of

4. owing to

5. in comparison to

Page 56

C. The students will make their own sentences.

PronounsPage 57

A. Let the students do this exercise on their own.

B. The students will find the pronouns and say whether they aresubject or object.

1. they (subject) 2. I (subject), him (object)

3. he (subject), me, my(object) 4. he (subject)

5. I (subject), their (object) 6. we (subject), you (object)

7. they (subject), her (object) 8. they (subject), it (object)

The MicrobePage 58

A. The students will answer the given questions.

1. People hope to see the microbe through the microscope.

2. According to the poet, scientists are suppose to knoweverything and hence assure us about those things. Yes, theyare people who talk about things they have proven.

3. He has seven tails clustered together with lots of lovely pinkand purple spots on each of which there is a pattern composedof forty separate bands.

85

B. The students will find the adjective from the poem.

1. jointed

2. curious

3. tufted

4. tender

C. Sanguine means being confident and sure about something.

D. By the quoted lines the poet means that one should never doubtabout things nobody is sure about.

E. The students will complete the given crossword.

Down:

1. separate

2. design

4. hundred

Across:

3. beneath

5. tender

6. doubt

In Distant PlacesPage 61

You can ask the students what information they would want aboutthe place they wish to visit. They should keep in mind these thingswhile writing their travelogue. You could show them an actualtravelogue. Many students might not be aware of Colombo. Youcan first ask them some question regarding Sri Lanka and Colombo.They can note down the points and later can use them to write theiranswers.

86

Posters and FunPage 62

Before making the posters you can initiate class discussions on eachtopic. The posters should be supported with colourful visuals.

Word NetworkPage 63

A. The students will make the word network of the given word.

power: powerful, empower, empowerment, powering

B. The students will make new words for the given words.

1. use, usage, useful, disuse

2. know, knowledge, acknowledge, knowing

3. able, workable, enable, knowledgeable

4. list, enlist, listen, listening

5. bold, embolden, bolder

The Future TensePage 64

A. The students will change the given sentences as instructed.

1. My grandparents will see the movie this evening.

2. We will meet our friends in the bus.

3. They will eat their dinner by 7 pm.

4. The birds will twitter and chatter seeing the cat below.

5. The baby will gurgle and laugh when he will see his mother.

6. My neighbour will shift to their new house this month.

7. The coaching class will begin at 8.30 in the morning.

8. I shall sing along with the music.

87

9. Mamta will go to pick up the clothes from the store.

10. Nisha will swallow the milk in one big gulp.

B. The students will make their own sentences.

The Future Continuous TensePage 65

A. The students will complete the sentences using the futurecontinuous tense of the verbs in the brackets.

1. will be selling

2. will be going

3. will be bowling

4. will be arranging

5. will be taking

6. will be paying

7. will be passing

8. will be coming

9. will be meeting

10. will be practising

11. shall be doing

12. will be cheering

PunctuationPage 67

A. The students will punctuate the given sentences.

1. Here’s the students’ union with Rajat the president, Hemathe general secretary, Sarit the treasurer and the other headsof different societies.

2. The little prince had everything he could have wished for;unfortunately he didn’t have any manners.

88

3. He didn’t do that on purpose, he just wanted to have somefun.

4. Amongst fruits, I like bananas, custard apples, strawberriesand peaches; lettuce, caulif lower and potatoes amongstvegetables, and mutton curry, biryani and korma amongst non-vegetarian food.

5. It’s a free trip for two to Manali; pity we cannot go!

Page 67

B. The students will correct the errors in each box.

Potatoes,

No Dogs,

Dr. Lal’s Clinic

Services for walls, ceilings, doors, etc

Your choice

Women’s section

Children’s park

Denting, painting, repairs

Page 68

C. The students will place apostrophe wherever required.

1. It’s a long journey to Simla.

2. Who’s got my pencil?

3. One’s leather shoes should never be washed.

4. Priya’s bird chatters all day.

5. A friend of my mother’s is coming for lunch.

6. Who’s that knocking at my door?

7. They’re coming to see the rose.

8. You’re never going to forget the difference between it’s andits.

D. The students will rewrite the sentences using short forms.

1. I’ve written a story about a funny elephant.

89

2. They’ll find a way to get here.

3. Tarun hasn’t received your letter.

4. Sheela hasn’t done her homework.

5. The school doesn’t serve cold drinks.

6. We’ve been waiting for the school picnic.

7. You shouldn’t go out in the middle of the night.

8. The guards don’t allow any outsider to enter the compound.

Transition WordsPage 70

NOTE: Before starting the exercises ask the students to go throughthe chapter once again and make sentences with the given words.This will help them understand the nuisances better.

Students can do A. and B. on their own.

Page 71

C. The students will complete the paragraph with the given transitionwords.

Once upon a time there lived a family of bears in a lovely woodedarea. Their home was under some trees beside a small stream. Oneday, while the bears were not at home, a little girl came to thehouse. First, she knocked on the door, then even though no oneanswered her knock, she entered the house. Then she ate some ofthe bears’ food, and she napped on one of their beds. Meanwhile,the bears returned home. They were surprised to see their dooropen. Their roars woke up the girl, and she fearfully ran from thehouse, through the woods, and back to her own home. As a resultof her experiences, she never went into the woods alone again.

D. Students can write the paragraphs on their own. Just remindthem to use their imagination and also that what they write shouldnot seem fictitious.

90

Kinds of PhrasesPage 72

A. The students will underline the phrases that function as adjectives.

2. in fresh water

3. with a watch made of gold

4. of red colour

5. without any bad manners

6. of our school

7. of great status

8. with a lot of pictures

9. living in the sea

10. in great pain

B. The students will rewrite each as adjective phrases.

1. a spoon made of wood

2. a vehicle of two wheels

3. a skin which is smooth

4. a road which is bad

5. a curry from India

6. a dog from the mountain

7. an actor of talent

8. a woman who is happy

Page 73

C. The students will underline the adverb phrases in each.

1. in a very rude manner

2. at the end of

3. on in our hearts

4. at this time

5. without a thought

91

6. in those days

7. at this point

8. at this juncture

9. once upon a time

10. without any worries

D. The students can do this exercise on their own.

Using a DictionaryPage 74

Ask the students to bring their own dictionaries. While going throughthis chapter, do ask the students to keep their dictionaries open. Allthe exercises can be done with the help of a dictionary.

Writing an ArticlePage 77

A. Students should read the article very carefully. They shouldremember that a title should be eye-catching and inviting.

B. Initiate a class discussion on child labour before asking them towrite the article. They should remember that the article will bepublished in a national daily, hence nothing controversial should bewritten.

Transitive and Intransitive VerbsPage 78

The students will write whether the verbs are transitive or intransitive.

1. transitive

2. transitive

3. transitive

4. transitive

92

5. intransitive

6. intransitive

7. intransitive

8. transitive

Baking a Chocolate CakePage 80

A. Students will be able to do this exercise on their own.

B. The students will circle the correct option.

1. voice

2. active

3. passive

4. object

5. transitive, intransitive, object

Reviews: Books, Films and MusicPage 81

Students should be encouraged to talk about each aspect of thebook, film or music. The best reviews could be read out in class.This chapter should motivate students to think critically.

Beat About the BushPage 82

A. The students will match the idioms to their meanings.

1. f 2. a 3. j 4. b 5. h 6. c

7 d 8 g 9. e 10. i

B. The students can make their own sentences.

93

Reported Speech—1Page 84

A. The students will write the sentences in indirect speech. One hasbeen already done.

2. Shyama told me that she needed my book.

3. Maya told her mother that she would start working fromtomorrow.

4. Vijay told the librarian that he hadn’t found the book yet.

5. Neeta wondered where she had left her umbrella.

6. Kala asked Jasmeet if she could take a day off.

B. The students will write the conversation in reported speech.

The Chairperson said to the candidate, ‘Where did you get your BA(Music) from?’

‘I graduated from Benaras Hindu University’, said the candidate.

‘Have you worked in any other school’, said the Chairperson.

‘Yes ma’am,’ said the candidate. ‘I’ve worked for three years atKendriya Vidaylaya.’

‘If selected, when is the earliest that you will be able to join us,’asked the Chairperson.

‘I will need at least a month’s time.’

Reported Speech—2Page 85

A. The students will write each in reported speech.

• Mira asked Manya from where had she bought the shawl.

• The receptionist asked the guest at the hotel if she could helpher.

• The student asked a friend if she had got an eraser.

94

• The child asked her mother’s friend whether she would liketo leave a message.

Page 86

B. The students will convert each into reported speech.

1. The policeman ordered the convict to stand up.

2. Mother ordered me to finish my food in ten minutes flat.

3. Ravi requested his friend to return the library book that hehad borrowed a month ago.

4. The beggar requested the man to give him some money.

5. The man asked his wife if she could pass him some rice.

6. My sister ordered me to clear up the mess right then.

C. Students can do this exercise on their own.

Getting to Know OthersPage 87

Help the students to form groups and choose the topics and takethe interviews.

A Poem About TalkPage 88

A. The words that rhyme are:

Jibber-jabber, gabble-babble-cackle, clack-crack, twiddle-twaddle,mutter-stutter-utter-splutter, short-shoot, hem-haw-jaw, grumble-mumble

B. The alliterative words are:

Jibber-jabber, cackle clack-crack, twiddle-twaddle, short-shoot, gargle-gasp, gals-gag-groan, hem-haw beef-bellyache-bat

The students can do C. and D. on their own.

95

Similes and MetaphorsPage 89

A. The students will say whether the given sentences are similes ormetaphors.

1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 are similes while 3, 6 and 9 are metaphors.

B. Students can do this on their own using their imagination.

Does This Make Sense?Page 90

All these sentences are palindromes. Palindromes are words, phrasesor sentences that read the same backward or forward.

Remembering My ChildhoodPage 92

A. The students will answer the questions after reading the passage.

1. The one great advantage that the author enjoyed in hischildhood was the literary and artistic atmosphere whichprevailed at his house.

2. The author’s cousin, Ganendra, had translated a Sanskrit play.

Ganendra was very enthusiastic about literature and the finearts. He had studied the history of various countries andtranslated and published many well-known hymns. He wasthe one who inspired them to write patriotic poems andsongs.

3. The house was filled with Gunendra’s personality. His large,gracious heart had place for everybody. He was alwaysenthusiastic about art, new ideas of festivity or frolic, theatricalsor other entertainments

4. The author’s nephew, Satya, had won a prize at anexamination. No, he had never won a prize in school.

96

5. According to Gunendra, the author’s genuine pleasure atSatya’s success was a commendable trait.

B. The reception rooms were always brightly lit every evening andrichly adorned carriages would draw up under our portico. Therewas constant flow of visitors.

C. They were curious as well as happy.

D. Students can make sentences on their own.

97

About the story Page 6

NOTE: The European countries are the main-cheese eating countries,though people from other countries, too, are developing the tastefor it. The teacher may ask the students to find out about the bestknown cheese and their distinctive smell. Answers are given.

1. The narrator used a broken down cart, which was being pulledby a tired, weak horse. It seemed as if the horse was walkingin sleep, dragging the cart along.

2. a. The passengers found the smell oppressive. They movedout of the carriage leaving the narrator alone in the carriage.One of them even thought that the smell reminded himof a dead baby.

b. People trying to get into the carriage were excited onseeing an empty carriage. They enthusiastically tried to getinto the carriage to occupy a seat. However, the momentthey reached inside, the smell made them move out asquickly, to find a seat elsewhere.

c. On smelling the cheese, Tom’s wife expected the worst.She was determined to give Tom a piece of her mind forsending such a smelly cheese.

d. The bargemen complained that the smell made themfeel faint.

e. The coroner said that the smell reminded him of a deadbaby.

f. The charwoman did not find the smell offensive. Shecould hardly smell it and at close quarters, she felt thatthe smell reminded her mildly of melons.

3. a. The narrator is addressing Tom’s wife.

b. ‘He’ being referred to here is Tom, the narrator’s friendwho sent the cheese.

TTTTTHEHEHEHEHE S S S S STORTORTORTORTORYTELLERYTELLERYTELLERYTELLERYTELLER

Cheese

98

c. ‘He’, that is, Tom was very fond of cheese and had givenfirm directions about how they were to be kept. He hadinsisted that nobody should touch them. When Tom’swife thought of disposing of the cheese, the narratorthought that his friend would feel badly about the loss.

Word power Page 7

A. put upon: harassed, bothered, stressed

It also means taking undue advantage of someone’s kindness.

B. The teacher may discuss the phrases in class and ask the studentsto make sentences to bring out their meaning.

• put up with: tolerate

• put on: pretend

• put in: submit

• put aside: sideline

• put down: critical remark

• put out: extinguish

• put away: pack away, consume

• put off: repelled

• put up: display

C. The teacher may discuss the phrases in class. The students mayuse a dictionary, if required. Sample answers are given. These phraseshave a strong impact on the narrative, making the scene come alive.One can visualise it happening, for example, ‘knock-kneed, broken-winded somnambulist’, used to describe the horse immediately bringsto mind a picture of a tired looking horse, whose movements arejerky and it seems to be walking in sleep.

1. The narrator has used the phrase to describe the horse pullingthe cab. The movement of the cab was so jerky and slow thatthe horse seemed to be walking in its sleep. According to thenarrator, the cab’s jerky movements could only be ascribed tothe weak kneed, tired looking horse. The exaggerateddescription makes it humorous.

2. A funeral bell can never be merry. The author has used the

99

contrast to highlight his slow journey by cab to the railwaystation. By using this phrase, he has made the statement, ‘wecontinued at this slow pace’, interesting.

3. The narrator is describing the impact of the smell of cheeseon the horse. He means that the horse started running veryfast, almost galloping. He was moving at his full potential,with no regard for the people on the way. The stout oldladies and cripples, who could not move quickly, were left farbehind and they had to scramble to move out of its path.

4. The narrator is describing the impact of the cheese on theother passengers in the carriage he chose to occupy. He saysthat the other passengers felt uncomfortable the moment hekept the cheese on the rack. However, by the time they inhaledthe third time; the smell was unbearable and almost gavethem a heart attack. By using this phrase, the narrator hasbeen able to convey the impact of the very strong smell andhas given it a humorous touch.

Creative work Page 8

A. The students may write the letter keeping in mind the incidentsnarrated in the story. It should be along the lines of the story. Theletter may be friendly and should reflect the unhappiness of thefriend at not enjoying the cheese. They may be reminded that he wasthe only person genuinely fond of the cheese. His experiences whiledisposing the cheese may have a humorous touch.

B. The student may be encouraged to use their imagination. Answerswill vary. The best diary entries may be read in class. The studentsmay take into account the following points. The diary entry shouldbe in first person.

• His irritation at being in possession of the strong smellingcheese.

• His enjoyment of its impact on other people.

• His pleasure at having the carriage to himself throughout thejourney.

• The humour of the situation.

100

Writer’s craft

The teacher may encourage the students to come up with the answer.The reasons may then be discussed in class. Answers will vary. Allanswers with relevant reasons may be considered as correct.

The writer’s style has made the story, which if reported would beunfortunate experiences of people caught in unpleasant situation,humorous. The use of such phrases as knock-kneed, broken-windedsomnambulist, to describe a tired looking, slow horse, has madereading the story fun. Dialogues, such as, ‘What is it? Tell me theworst.’ and ‘You think he would be upset if I gave a man a sovereignto take them away and bury them’ also make the story humorous.

SmellsAbout the poem Page 10

Answers are given.

1. The poet loves the smell of freshly ground coffee, rich plumpudding, fried onions, newly ripe apples and printer’s ink onleaden type. The smell of woods on September night feelssweet to him. He feels nostalgic about the campfire and says‘and I remember many a smoky campfire ember.’ Camphor,turpentine tea and balsam remind him of magic. For thesmell of ships, he says, ‘A ship smells best of all to me.’

2. Answers will vary. Sample answer is given.

Familiar smells: freshly ground coffee, rich plum pudding,deeply fried onions, smoky campfire ember, camphor,turpentine, tea.

Unfamiliar smells: fumy pipe, newly ripe apples, printer’s inkon leaden type, woods at night in September, balsam of aChristmas tree, smell of ship.

3. Answers may vary. Strong smell of incense sticks, camphor,jasmine oil, etc. may be associated with magic.

Word power

A. The expressions may be discussed in class. Sentences will vary.Sample sentences are given.

101

1. Jasmine brings with it a whiff of gramarye.

2. The walk in the woods by moonlight was enchanting.

3. The farmer served newly ripe fruits to his guests.

4. The students sat around the smoky campfire and sang songs.

5. Sita uses freshly ground coffee beans instead of instant coffee.

B. The expressions may be listed on the blackboard and studentscan be encouraged to make new expressions by changing the adjectives.The teacher may ask them to use some such expressions to makesentences. Some adjectives are given.

1. deep-fried onions: raw onions; light brown onions; pickledonions.

2. smoky campfire: cheerful campfire; blazing campfire; warmcampfire.

3. rich plum pudding: dark brown plum pudding; sweet plumpudding.

4. fumy pipe: long pipe; aromatic pipe.

5. fresh coffee: cold coffee; steaming coffee, mild coffee.


A. The teacher may discuss the adjectives related to each sense inclass. The students may then use them to write the poem. Adjectiveslike vivid, beautiful, ugly, sweet, sour, tasteless, spicy, bitter, etc maybe useful. The best poems may be read in class.

Writer’s craft

A. The teacher may discuss the poem in class encouraging the studentsto point out the words and phrases which form images. The studentsmay additionally be asked to give examples of such words and phrasesin sentences. Some words and phrases from the poem are given. Thestudents may find more.

Single Words: camphor, turpentine, tea, Ship

Multiple words: woods by moonlight in September, smoky campfireember

102

B. Image of coffee freshly ground, rich plum pudding and newlyground apples appeal to our sense of taste too.

The students may add to the list. The teacher may ask them to listwords and phrases, other than the poem, which appeal to morethan one senses.

The Flying MachineAbout the story Page 19

The teacher may ask short questions based on the story to help thestudents understand it. Answers are given.

1. a. The emperor questions the inventor of the kite.

b. The emperor has realised the implications of the invention.He is both shocked and sorry that the inventor would bekilled.

2. Both the servant and the Emperor were amazed on seeing the‘miracle’. The difference in their reactions was that the servantsaw the novelty of miracle while the Emperor foresaw itsrepercussions.

3. The Great Wall of China represents security, peace andharmony to the emperor.

4. The similarity between the two inventions is that both arethings of beauty. Both revere nature. However, the differenceis that in his invention, the Emperor has visualised the beautyto be enjoyed by all while the man enjoys the beauty of hisinvention. Also, the Emperor’s invention cannot be misusedwhile the man’s invention, in wrong hands, can wreck havoc.

5. The Emperor is foresighted. He can see that in the hands ofan evil person, it will spell disaster. By executing the man, hehopes to maintain peace and harmony in his land. However,the punishment was too harsh. The man, himself, did notmean any harm. Also, the Emperor cannot stop the tide ofinventions forever.

6. a. ‘Hold your tongue. It was all a dream, a most sorrowful

103

and beautiful dream. If ever the word passes around, youdie within the hour.’

b. ‘Yes,’ said the emperor sadly, ‘I know it must be true. ForI felt my heart move with you in the air and I wondered:What is it like? Hoe does it feel? How do the distant poolslook from so high? And how my houses and servantslook? And how the distant towns not yet awake?’

c. ‘I fear another man. Some other man who, seeing you,will build a thing of bright papers and bamboo like this.But the other man will have an evil face and an evil heart,and the beauty will be gone. It is this man I fear.’

Word power Page 20

A. The students may use a dictionary if required. The teacher mayask them to make sentences with the words and the antonyms tobring out their meaning. Answers may vary.

• clumsy: deft • peaceful: turbulent

• warm: cool • early: late

• ancient: modern • create: destroy

• strange: familiar • bright: dull

B. Answers may vary. All relevant answers may be marked correct.Sample answers are given.

• squeak • jingle

• hooting • wailing

• ticking


A. The teacher may discuss the words that describe the emperor’sservant in class. The best paragraphs may be read in class. Somewords that describe the servant are given. The students may add tothe list.

• intelligent

• persistent

• loyal

104

Page 21

B. The teacher may divide the class into groups with one groupspeaking for the progress in science and the other for loss of somethingvaluable and precious in human life. The students may add to thefollowing points.

• new inventions open new avenues for mankind

• help understand nature

• help fight diseases and natural calamities

• important to provide for increasing population

• life will stagnate without new inventions

• take us away from nature

• emotions and feelings lose importance

• bring with them new problems

C. The students may work in groups and make charts, models, etcto support the presentation. There may be a class quiz on this.

Writer’s craft Page 21

There may be a class discussion about the message in the story. Thefollowing expressions can be used to start the discussion.

• A good invention in wrong hands can cause untold damage.

• Welfare of the masses is more important than a person’s.

• A thing before its time is not received well.

The Lesson of the MothAbout the poem Page 24

The teacher may discuss the poem in class. Answers are given.

1. The moth’s views on life are that it is better to really live alife full of excitement, if even for a moment, than to live along life which is boring. We do not agree because life is tooprecious to be wasted on a moment of excitement. But lifeneed not be boring either. Instead we should exercisemoderation. This urge should be channelised into creativity.

105

2. ‘Archy’ does not agree with the moth and wants to stop him.‘Archy’ prefers to be half as happy as the moth and live twiceas long. He is right to an extent but one should have an aimin life.

3. The moth is happier because he has done what he set out todo. ‘Archy’ realises that there is something missing in his life.He wishes that there should be something that he shouldwant as badly as the moth.

Word power Page 25

The students may use a dictionary if required. Sample sentences aregiven.

1. Mrs Indira Gandhi refused to follow the conventional path.

2. On seeing the unsightly debris of the car, the woman fainted.

3. The medical student immolated himself in protest againstreservation.

4. In olden days, kings ate herbs for longevity.

5. The daring stunt by the actor earned him appreciation.

6. We all crave for appreciation for work done well.

Creative work

The teacher may discuss punctuation using suitable examples. Thefirst paragraph has been rewritten with punctuation.

‘I was talking to a moththe other evening.He was trying to break intoan electric light bulb;and fry himself on the wires.’

Writer’s craft

A. The teacher may discuss the paradox in class using suitableexamples. The students can be asked to give some examples. Paradoxesin the poem are given.

1. ‘Archy’ does not agree with the moth’s philosophy of life, yetwishes for a cause, for which he can feel as strongly as themoth.

106

2. The moth says that he has plenty of sense yet gets tired ofusing it.

B. The teacher may ask the students the message they get from thepoem. Answers may vary but should be supported by reasons. Sampleanswer is given.

The theme of the poem is, ‘It is better to live a full life than a longone.’ Also, ‘One has to take risks if one feels strongly aboutsomething.’

The man in ‘The Flying Machine’ risked his life and jumped fromthe mountain because he wanted that moment of happiness whenhe could fly in the sky. Similarly, the moth was ready to lose his lifefor a moment of beauty.

Shed in SpaceAbout the poem Page 28

You may talk about the relationship the students share with theirgrandparents. You may also ask them about the fantasy games theyplay with them.

1. The two ambitions of Granddad Lewis were to win the firstprize for shallots at the village show, and to be a spacecommander. He was a dreamer. He was also a down to earthperson who shared a wonderful relationship with his grandson.

2. Granddad would settle in a deck chair, focus on somethingdistant in the sky and create an atmosphere of the space ship.For the launch, he would check with his second commander(poet) and then start the countdown for the launch. He wouldalso talk to mission control.

3. In the garden shed, sacks of linseed peat and horse manurewere stored. There was a deck chair on which Granddad satfor the launch. The poet used the lawn mower as the motorfor the space shed. There were, also, shelves of paint andcreosote, and racks of glistening chisel.

107

4. a. Granddad.

b. Nobody could see the look in his eyes as he saw somethingin his imagination, all alone.

c. They have been used for the sky and space.

5. a. Space ships rise and not the sheds.

b. Both. The idea of a space shed rising into space is funny.However, it was a game for him which he enjoyed.

6. Granddad Lewis was a winner in the eyes of his grandsonbecause he was able to create an image of a space shed, whichthe grandson carried with him even after he grew up.

Word power Page 29

A. The students may use their imagination. Answers will vary. Sampleanswers are given.

1. unfounded anxiety

2. stupendous surprise

3. exotic flower

4. fleeting impressions

B. The students may use a dictionary if required. You my ask themto make sentences with the words. Answers may vary.

2. ambition: aspiration; indifference

3. distant: far; near

4. light: brightness; darkness

5. mysterious: unknown; familiar

6. launch: start; end

C. You may discuss the lines in class, encouraging the students tocome up with the meaning. Answers are given.

• This was a game shared by Granddad and the poet, a secretfrom others.

• In the make-believe game, they were in a space shed, whichwas being launched into space. So, Granddad was coordinatingwith the earth station.

108

• It was a game shared by them over a long period. In theirimagination, they were both in space, where time ceased tomatter. Those hours could not be measured.

• It is a grandson’s way of giving the highest accolade to hisgranddad. He means that Granddad made the game of make-believe space shed almost believable for him. No one couldhave done it better.

D. You may discuss the idioms/phrases in class. The students mayuse a dictionary if required. Sentences will vary. Meanings and samplesentences are given.

1. bring to the knowledge of others: The opposition broughtthe government’s money laundering scam to light.

2. ignore: The principal made light of the pranks of the students.

3. hope after difficult times: The clouds came as the light at theend of the tunnel for the drought-stricken villagers.

4. very fast: When the school bell rang, the students were outas a light.

5. understand: After a lot of persuasion, the students saw thelight and apologised.

Creative work

A. The students may answer the question independently after readingthe poem. The descriptions may be read in class. The students mayadd to the given answer.

Granddad’s fantasy world is in space, among the celestial bodies. Heenjoys moving among the planets; he explores the mysterious sun.He finds nothing common between the fantasy world and the realworld.

Page 30

B. The students may use their imagination. Answers will vary. Allanswers may be read in class.

C. You may discuss the relationship of the grandparents with thechildren. You may talk about their contributions in our upbringing,the values they impart. Some points are given. The students mayadd to them.

109

1. blanket of love

2. moral values

3. patience

4. coming to our level and playing endless games with us


A. You may have a class discussion. Answers will vary but should besupported by reasons. Sample answer is given.

The poet sympathises with his Granddad for not winning the prizefor the shallots. As far as flying in space is concerned, he feels thatGranddad enjoyed every minute of the ride in space every Tuesday,more than he would have enjoyed a ride in the real space ship. Also,he considers his Granddad as the best captain of an intergalacticspace shed.

B. Answers will vary. You may discuss the different options in class.

My Granny is a Sumo WrestlerAbout the poem Page 33

The teacher may discuss the poem in class before the students attemptthe questions. Answers are given.

1. Granny is strongly built, is tough as nails and is not frightenedof anyone.

2. Granny rides motorbikes, at the same time, bends bars withjaws and she is six foot three (while sitting down).

3. The poet admires her. In his eyes, she is invincible and a rolemodel. He brags about her.


A. A person, who is not scared of anything, is frightened of a smallhoney bee; her reactions will be out of proportion to the threat.The teacher may encourage the students to write the paragraphexaggerating about the humming of the honey bee and the ways inwhich Granny hides from it. They may also describe, in brief, thepainful effect of the sting of the bee.

110

B. The teacher may begin the discussion by narrating about theirchildhood and encourage the students to talk about their role models,from within their family, who are best in something, not necessarilysomething exotic. The best letters may be read in class.


The teacher may discuss hyperbole in class using suitable examples.She may also ask the students to come up with examples.

1. My Granny rides two motor bikes (at the same time).

2. My Granny she’s six foot three (that’s sitting down).

3. My Granny beat up Mike Tyson (in the first round).

Stolen DayAbout the story Page 40

The teacher may ask short questions from the chapter. Answers aregiven.

• The narrator was envious of Walter because though Waltercould walk and go fishing, yet he did not have to go toschool. The narrator went looking for him because he wantedto know about inflammatory rheumatism.

• Walter had inflammatory rheumatism and therefore did nothave to attend school. However, he could walk and go fishing.The narrator too wanted to miss school and go fishing. Thus,he pretended to be suffering from inflammatory rheumatism.

• Her reaction was neither insensitive nor cruel. She had totend to the younger children. She had to do a lot of worktoo. Also, she was aware that there was nothing seriouslywrong with the narrator.

• The narrator was feeling sorry for himself because his motherwas not pampering him. He was also getting bored. Thus, hedecided to go fishing.

• It is sad because the narrator is looking for attention. He feelsthat he will be able to get it once he is dead, and is missed.

111

• The ache was the humiliation he felt because he knew thateveryone would make fun of him, and would make him looklike a fool.

• The story is titled ‘Stolen Day’ because it is a day stolen bythe narrator, under false pretences, from his daily routine ofschool and studies. Instead of studying, he acted sick in school,came home and then went fishing, something that he hadwanted to do for a long time.

Word power Page 40

Homophones are words which sound the same but have differentmeanings, for example, ‘week’ and ‘weak’ sound the same, thoughthey have different meanings. The teacher may ask the students togive more such examples, along with the differences in their meanings.The students may use a dictionary if required.

creek: The barge came near the creek for docking.

creak: The floor boards of the old house creaked under our feet.

break: The young shoot will break in the storm.

brake: Please apply the brakes before the zebra crossing.

pain: During winter, I can feel the pain in my left shoulder.

pane: The glass pane shattered when the ball hit it.

right: Take the right turn at the end of the road.

rite: The priest performed the religious rites before the launch ofthe new car.

die: In India, many people die of starvation.

dye: The blue dye used for the uniform, is too dark.

knew: Amit already knew the name of the new student in class.

new: Akash has bought a new car.


A. There may be a class discussion about the narrator’s behaviour.The students are sure to have better ways of pretending to be ill.The teacher may also encourage the students to come up withdifferent endings to the story. One of the things that would havehappened if the narrator had not told his family about his pretendedsickness is given. The students may add to it.

112

If the narrator had not told the others about his inflammatoryrheumatism, he could have repeated the excuse again. Also, everyonewould have been more sympathetic about his alleged sickness.

B. The teacher may have a discussion about the worries of themother. The letter may include the details of the problem. Themother may enquire if the child is displaying the same symptoms inschool. Also, the letter may state that the teacher has a vast experiencein dealing with children, so his/her advice is desirable.


The teacher may give examples of internal and external conflictswhich the students can relate to. She may then, ask them to pointout the conflicts in the story. They may refer to the story and writeabout the way they were resolved.

The external conflict was between the fish and the narrator, bothstruggling to defeat the other. The internal conflict was within thenarrator because his mother did not pay much attention to him,though he was sick.

Speed AdjustmentsAbout the poem Page 45

Every student will relate to the poem. Answers are given.

1. The man had come to enquire about why John had becomeslow. John’s father replied by pointing towards John, whowas running very fast, and in turn asking the man if heconsidered that slow.

2. The man could be John’s teacher. He had actually come tocomplain that John had not reached school the day before.He wanted to inform John’s father that though John said thathe had started for school at 8.30 am the day before, he hadbeen able to reach school only that day.

3. John is called a ‘two-speed boy’ because he is sometimes veryfast and sometimes too slow. He was running very fast whenhis teacher was talking to his father. However, he was so slow

113

when he started out for school, that he took a day to reachthere.

4. John’s father punished him for being truant and skippingschool the day before. He gave John a good beating on hisbehind, good enough to ensure that he would not try to missschool again.


A. The teacher may discuss this in class encouraging the students tocome up with answers. Answers will vary. The students may add tothe following points.

1. we lag behind the others

2. we do not feel like working

3. when things seem to be going out of hand

4. need to readjust our schedule

5. reset our targets

6. need an outside impetus to perform

B. Answers will definitely vary based on reactions to his method.The students may write the paragraph independently. The bestparagraphs may be read in class. The students may add to thefollowing points.

• strict

• believed in corporal punishment

• a disciplinarian

• sharp and intelligent

• loved John

• had John’s good at heart


The teacher may give examples from other writings to highlight thecontrast which has brought humour to the poem. She may also askthe students to give examples of the contrast where it has made adifference to the tone of the passage or poem.

114

The Desirable ShawlAbout the story Page 54

The teacher may ask short questions from the story to help thestudents understand it. Answers are given.

1. When Chi-wee saw the ‘look’ in her mother’s eyes, sheunderstood that her mother had a great desire to possess theshawl. She resolved that her mother would possess the shawl.

2. a. ‘It’ refers to the shawl.

b. Chi-wee asked her mother if she would buy the shawl.

c. Chi-wee’s mother did not want to speak of it because shedid really want to buy the shawl but knew that they couldnot afford it. Also, she did not want to explain this toChi-wee.

3. Chi-wee had seen the look of longing in her mother’s eyes.She was also convinced that the Good Spirit had made theshawl for her mother. Therefore, she was determined to buythe shawl.

4. The trader promised to keep the shawl for Chi-wee becausehe could sense her eagerness and determination. Also, Chi-wee was of the same age as his daughter would have been.

5. Chi-wee gave her pink shell necklace, as part payment for theshawl, to the trader. She also collected a great jar of wildhoney from the desert and gave it as payment for the shawl.

6. Chi-wee felt fear for the shawl and anger at the white manbecause he could afford to pay for it, when she saw himstanding near the shawl. Under the circumstances, these werejustified because she had worked hard to be able to pay forthe shawl.

7. a. The White man.

b. They were tears of shame because she had been thinkingbadly of him. They were also tears of gratitude because hegave shawl to her, despite buying it for himself. They weretears of happiness too, because she could give the shawl toher mother.

115

c. On learning about Chi-wee’s determination to buy theshawl for her mother and about her sacrifice to pay for it,he left the shawl in her wagon to help her fulfill herdream.

Word power Page 55

A. The students may use a dictionary if required. The teacher mayask them to make sentences with the idioms.

1. on (the) air: being broadcasted on TV or radio.

2. up in the air: not yet decided.

3. a breath of fresh air: a person or place that is new anddifferent.

4. out of thin air: from nowhere, as if by magic.

5. build castles in the air: have plans that are unlikely to cometrue.

6. vanish into thin air: to disappear suddenly in a mysteriousmanner.

Page 56

B. The teacher may encourage the students to come up with theadjectives. She may ask them to give reasons for using those adjectivesfor Chi-wee and the trader. Some adjectives are given. However, thelist is not exhaustive.

Chi-wee: loving, determined, sacrificing

Trader: tender-hearted, money-minded

Creative writing

A. The teacher may discuss the letter in class. The letter may includethe following points.

• gratitude

• regret for wrong thoughts

• happiness

B. The teacher may discuss the different colours, example, red foranger, white for peace, etc. The teacher may also discuss the phrasesand ask the students to come up with more of these. Some pointsare given, the students may add to them.

116

• red treetops: tips of trees touched with sunlight at dawn,gives a feeling of translucence, appears as if tops on fire

• orange dawn: early dawn; just before the sun rises, sky paintedorange by the sun’s rays

• white flags: peace after conflict

• blue horizon: clear cloudless sky, feeling of endlessness

• yellow happiness: warm glow of happiness, contentment


The students may answer this independently and the answers maythen be discussed in class. The reasons for the answers may also bediscussed. Some points are given. The list is not exhaustive.

• When she asked her mother to buy it: love for her mother,determination to get the shawl

• When she asked her mother to buy it: determination to getthe shawl, love for her mother

• When she went to the trader alone: determination to buy it,willingness to sacrifice her only possession

• When she sold her necklace: willingness to sacrifice, love forher mother, sadness at losing a prized possession

• When the trader refused to exchange the shawl for the necklace:frustration, sorrow

• When she went to the trader the next time and did not seethe shawl: tension, fear, dejection

• When the trader agreed to keep the shawl till she got money:happiness, determination

• When she gave the jar of honey to the trader: pride

• When she was told her shawl had been sold: anger, sorrow,dejection

• When her mother gave her the bundle: confusion

• When she read the little card: happiness, gratitude, regret

117

Dancing TeepeesAbout the poem Page 59

Answers are given.

1. The cloth of the teepees is moving with the breeze. In thesetting sun, this gives the effect of dancing.

2. The children are playing with bows and arrows, and the womenare gathering kindling to start a fire for the evening. Thesimple games and the basic tools and facilities point to anomadic lifestyle.

3. The men folk are the braves. They are described as gallant.They return after killing and raiding, and bring home thebooty of horses, scalps and ornaments.

Word power

A. The students may use the dictionary if required. The teacher mayask them to make sentences with the words.

1. a 2. a 3.a 4. a

Page 60

B. The teacher may discuss the meaning of phrases in class. Samplesentences are given.

1. The laughing fringes of the Yamuna attract a number ofanimals at night.

2. At the end of a hard day, the farmers sat around the eveningfire to relax.

3. The dancing teepees of the gypsies are a colourful sight.

4. The trees seem to be on fire in the autumn sun.

5. The children enjoyed the picnic on the grassy banks of theriver Ganga.

C. The teacher may use suitable examples to discuss personification.Answers are given.

• Death frowned upon the sick king.

• The crystal-clear fountain danced among the rocks.

118

• Swift mischief plays havoc in the minds of men.

• The feathered death flew past the prince.

• The first shower tip-toed at her doorstep.

D. Answers are given.

1. b 2. b


The teacher may discuss this in class. Some points based on thepoem are given. The students may add to the list.

1. nomadic lifestyle

2. simple life

3. still existing in a bygone era, surrounded by advancement.

4. children play with bows and arrows

5. fire using wood

6. man’s main occupation is raiding


A. There are no direct rhyming lines in the poem. ‘Dancing teepees’is the refrain of this poem.

B. ‘Dancing teepees’ is the refrain of this poem.

The Alarm ClockAbout the poem Page 62

You may discuss discrimination in various forms both in India andin other countries. The students may collect information fromnewspapers and other media.

1. It reminded her of her visit to the drugstore where the girlrefused to serve her, saying they did not serve them.

2. The phrase ‘you people’ clubs a particular set of people togetherin a derogatory way by virtue of their belonging to a particularcommunity. It is discrimination against those people.

3. The poet woke up to the truth of discrimination, which isstill alive despite progress and education.

119

• The poet means that it is good to dream a little instead ofwaking up to soon to the harsh reality of discrimination.

• Both are eye-openers. On getting up in the morning, she wascoming out of a dream. At the drugstore, deep in thought,oblivious to the surroundings, she was brought back to thereal world by the incident at the drugstore.


You may ask the students to get information from magazines,newspapers, etc. You may also discuss about the discriminationaround us. Some types of discrimination are given.

1. against Harijans

2. against Native Americans

3. against Asians in Europe and Americas

4. against coloured people, the natives

The discrimination hinted at in the poem is against Native Americansin the US.


A. It symbolises coming face to face with the reality of life. It iscoming out of the ideal world into the real world with all itsshortcomings.

B. You may discuss the two chapters in class. A sample answer isgiven.

In The Desirable Shawl, the author clubs all the white men as bad andfeels that the trader gave the shawl to a White man; and thusdiscriminated against her. In the end, she realises that thediscrimination was actually in her mind.

In the poem, The Alarm Clock, the poet has been discriminatedagainst. It has been a rude shock to her, but it is not a figment ofher imagination, it actually exists in the world.

120

DandyAbout the story Page 75

Answers are given.

1. Rudra went with Dandy into the future to get the cure forthe deadly gas. He did not require a grown-up person to guidehim. This shows that he was extremely independent.

2. Rudra found it difficult to accept the dragon as his friendbecause he did not belong to our world. Also, he thoughtthat the dragon was not real.

3. Rudra and Dandy talked about their two worlds and aboutthe stars. Rudra introduced Dandy to things from his worldlike chocolates, ice creams and fruits.

4. Dandy tunes into the wavelength of the person with whomhe wishes to communicate and interacts with him in thoughts.The person things that the thought has just slipped into hishead. This is ‘thought communication’ in Dandy’s world.

5. Dandy imagined and hoped that in the future world for humanswould be a good place to live in. People would have realisedthe value of being good and kind. They would think of othersand would not just do what they wanted.

Word power Page 76

A. You may discuss similes using suitable examples. Answers willvary as students will use their imagination. Sample answers are given.

1. as quick as a thought

2. as heavy as guilt

3. as sensitive as a touch me not

4. as kind as a heart

5. as tender as a new born baby

6. as healthy as an elephant

B. You may discuss compound words in class, encouraging thestudents to come up with new compound words. Answers will vary.Sample words are given.

121

1. a back-breaking homework

2. a super cool mother

3. a dead weight school bag

4. a sleep-inducing book

5. a run-down cottage

Creative work

A. The students may write the diary keeping in mind the givenpoints.

• first person account

• the reason for the voyage

• his preparations

• surprise at Dandy’s increasing his size

• fear of travelling perched on Dandy’s back

• impressions about the world from high above

• terror in the vortex

• impressions of the new world

• sense of achievement and satisfaction

Page 77

B. You may have a class discussion on this. You may make a list ofsome famous personalities and ask the students if they are able toassociate things with them, example Mahatma Gandhi with hiswalking stick and clock.

C. You may divide the class into groups to make the collages. Thestudents may use their imagination to make the collage. They maykeep in mind that he loved open spaces and parks, etc.


There may be a class discussion. Answers will vary. You may ask thestudents to name the adventure stories they like. Dandy may beconsidered an adventure story by some because Dandy and Rudrashared an adventure into the future. However, it may truly not bean adventure story because it does not focus on the adventure.

122

The TightropeAbout the story Page 89

You may ask short questions from the story to help studentsunderstand it.

1. Frank Kloti is a well built, gangly young boy. He is a talentedartist and wants to become a great performer. He is eager tolearn and is ready to work in any capacity to realise his dream.He is an intelligent, hard working boy and does not lose hispresence of mind in any situation, as he demonstrated whenhe lost his balance on the tightrope.

2. He had planned to request the great performer to accept himas part of his troupe. He was flustered because he becamenervous on seeing the great performer.

3. Pompozini was annoyed because wherever he went, peoplewere after him to let them join his troupe, though they didnot have anything new to show.

4. Pompozini became nervous at the last moment and could notfind the courage to walk the tightrope. As a large crowd hadgathered to see him perform, he asked Franz to perform in hisplace and show his talent. Thus, Franz’s greatest wish wasfulfilled.

5. a. Franz was performing in front of a large crowd, for whichhe had worked hard. His dream had come true for him.

b. He was to remember the smell of the magnolia from anearby garden and his supreme happiness.

6. a. The last taxi was just disappearing. There were no moreleft. But he hailed a carrier whom he knew and persuadedto help him.

b. ‘You prove it now- I give you anything you wish.’

‘Then you must let me join your troupe-now,’ said Franzsteadily.

‘You walk the rope?’

‘Of course, I will.’

123

c. ‘And you need not worry about your man. I’ll take hisplace. You can’t possibly manage all that stuff alone. I’llstay and fix the apparatus.’

Word power

A. You may discuss the meanings of the similes and also ask thestudents to give more examples of similes. Sentences will vary.

Sample sentences are given.

1. The road from Delhi to Jaipur is as straight as a ruled line.

2. The shopkeeper spun the sugar candy as thin as a cottonthread.

3. Mother tied the clothesline as taut as a banjo wire.

4. If the artists do not reach the venue on time, the crowd willstampede like wild elephants.

Page 90

B. You may use suitable examples to explain metaphors. Answersare given.

1. straight ruled line

2. thin cotton thread

3. taut banjo wire

4. stampeding wild elephants

C. You may discuss the meanings of the phrases in class. Samplesentences are given.

1. The glass counter cracked under the weight of the parcel.

2. The superbly poised model walked on the ramp.

3. While crossing the flooded river, the father carried his sonshoulder-high.

4. The machan was built on a sturdy-limbed tree in the forest.

5. Gawdy-coloured flags were used to decorate the stadium beforethe show.

6. The self-assured teenager performed in front of a large audience.

7. The flower will wilt and wither in the scorching sun.

124

8. They were within touching distance of the town when the carbroke down.

Creative work

A. You may discuss the format of the letter in class. The studentsmay remember the following points about Pompozini while writingthe letter. This will help them to write in his style.

• his pride in being a great performer

• is full of himself

• condescending

• knows that he owes a lot to Franz

B. You may ask the students to read reports from the newspaper inclass. You may point out the manner in which the source of thereport appears in the newspaper. While writing the report, thestudents may keep in mind the given points.

The report will be in past tense and third person.

There will be an introduction.

Then will be body of report.

The news that a teenager performed in place of Pompozini, and heperformed as a professional, may be highlighted.

C. You may ask the students to read a biography of a famouspersonality. You may discuss Franz in class and details about himmay be listed on the blackboard. A biography will include the givendetails:

• personal details-age, appearance, etc

• ambition and the extent to which he is ready to work toachieve it

• his qualities like determination, presence of mind, etc theseshould be supported by incidents

• the event that made him famous

• his life after the event

125


A. 1. By describing the scene in the street, the author is highlightingthe willingness of the people to bear discomfort to be able tosee the performance. There is an air of expectancy in thecrowd.

2. People had come in large numbers, before time, to see himperform. They did not mind standing for so long with almostno place to move. This indicated that Pompozini was a famousacrobat.

B. You may discuss Pompozini’s character in class, encouraging thestudents to state the lines from the passage to support hischaracteristics. You may also ask them to write his character sketch.

1. ‘Ten thousand curses on his stupid head! The imbecile-imbecile!’ he shouted, the points of his moustache trembling.

2. ‘What, travel in a common lorry? Me the great Pompozini?Pfff!’

3. But as soon as the porter left, the flower began to wilt andwither, and the pointed ends of the waxed moustaches beganto droop. Pompozini was pale, his limbs were trembling.’

At the Theatre(To the Lady behind Me)

About the poem Page 94

Answers are given.

1. The poet’s complaint is that the lady is discussing the plot ofthe play and has disclosed the murderer’s identity He also saysthat she is speaking the funny lines before the actors, thustaking away the humour from them. The surprise, essentialfor the play to be interesting, is lost because of her. He alsohas complaints about her companion and her niece. She isalso breathing on his neck, thus causing him discomfort.

2. They are not so amusing for the poet because the lady sittingbehind him had already spoken them before the actors, thusrobbing them of humour.

126

3. The lady speaks about what is going to happen in the playbeforehand, thus killing the element of surprise in the playfor the poet.

4. She is called a half-wit because she is happy to let the lady tellher everything about the play in advance.

5. a. The lady behind him would be silent for the duration ofthe play.

b. The lady would stop breathing down his neck.

6. Here ‘human touch’ means physical discomfort. Till then, thepoet had been talking about being disturbed at the intellectuallevel.

7. a. The lady sitting behind the poet.

b. The author of the play.

c. The murderer’s identity.

8. a. The author intends it to be suspense for the audience.

b. They are enacting comedy.

c. They do not become more humorous by virtue of myknowing them beforehand.

d. The thing that makes the drama good is the suspense.

e. I will no longer be surprised.

f. To say it clearly.

Word power Page 95

A. The students may use a dictionary if required. The use of adjectivesto describe the lady may be supported by reasons. You mayadditionally ask them to write the opposites of all the adjectivesgiven.

The words that describe the lady are given below along with theiropposites:

• rude: polite

• talkative: silent

• cheerful: sad

• disgusting: pleasant

127

B. Answers are given.

1. surprise 2. foretold 3. assistance

4. amuse 5. mute 6. plain

C. Answers are given.

1. amuses 2. plainly 3. foretold

4. surprised 5. assistance 6. mute(ly)


A. The students may write the account independently, including init, details about the manner in which the people wanted to displaytheir knowledge about the film by disclosing all the details about it;about how people were trying to outdo each other in talking aboutthe culprit.


You may use suitable examples to explain the use of sarcasm.

Eliza’s DebutAbout the play Page 104

You may narrate the story of Pygmalion in class and discuss thecharacter of Eliza, Higgins and Pickering. Answers are given.

1. Higgins had gone to his mother’s house to see how Eliza hadimproved in manners and deport under him. He wanted tosee if Eliza could behave like a lady in public.

2. ‘At-home’ day means a get together when friends visit theperson at his/her residence. The guests were Mrs Hill, her sonand daughter.

3. Higgins made gestures to indicate the hostess, over his mother’shead.

4. ‘Small talk’ means talking about inconsequential things tomake conversation. Eliza was using the dialect with whichMrs Higgins and her guests were not familiar. Therefore, heexplained it as new.

128

5. Eliza was sure that her aunt was killed because the people shelived with could kill even for a hat-pin. Also, she had survivedan attack of diphtheria and so could live through influenza.

6. Eliza has forgotten to behave in the lady-like manner andshocked the genteel society by her words. Also, Higgins sawthat she was not fully prepared to move in society. It was asignal to Eliza to leave.

7. Freddy was overwhelmed by her beauty and manners whenshe was introduced to them. However, once she forgot herlady-like behaviour, he understood that she did not belong totheir class and laughed at her.

8. She refused Freddy’s offer rudely and stated that she wouldbe going in a taxi.

9. a. Pickering was shocked and sat down on hearing the words.

b. Freddy was amused.

c. Clara felt that it was fashionable to speak in such a manner.

d. Mrs. Hill was shocked by such behaviour.

10. She meant that Eliza would be a misfit once Higgins hastrained her fully. She would not be acceptable in the genteelsociety and she would also not be able to go back to herroots.

11. a. Mrs Higgins.

b. Higgins replied that the girl lived with Pickering and him.

c. She was worried that they did not realise the results of thearrangement.

d. They were not worried because they saw her as a challenge.They were confident that they would find some lightemployment for her.

e. Mrs Higgins is more practical because she is able to foreseethe effects of this experiment on the lives of Higgins,Pickering and most of all Eliza’s.

12. Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering do not take theproblem seriously. They are not bothered about the way Eliza’slife would be affected. They feel that once she is trained as a

129

lady, they will find light employment for her. They are surethat there are a large number of openings. Mrs Higgins isangry and frustrated by their short-sightedness.

Word power Page 105

A. The students may use a dictionary if required. You mayadditionally ask them to make sentences with the words.

1. upset: offend

2. warmly: cordially

3. low pressure area: depression

4. light social conversation: small talk

5. stylish: presentable

B. You may discuss the exercise and the various options before thestudents attempt it.

1. a 2. a 3. b 4. b 5. a

C. The students may use a dictionary if required. Sample sentencesare given.

• The lines were taken from the Mahatma Gandhi’s biography.

• Amit tried to pass off Anuj’s project as his own.

• The young man wanted to stand on his own feet by earninga living.

• Under the principal’s supervision, all errant boys will fall inline.

• We expect a large crowd to turn up for the meeting.

• Anisha decided to move in with her sister.

• The boy has turned into a fine young man.

• Please pick up the parcel from the post office on your wayback.

• Amit decided to stand for elections to the school council.

• He has come for a meeting with the principal.

130


A. You may discuss Mrs Higgins’ feelings about Henry and Eliza.The students may keep in mind the following points while framingthe letter.

• Her disapproval of Higgins’ behaviour.

• Her irritation at her ‘at-home’ being disturbed.

• Her frustration at the short-sightedness of the two men.

• Her worry for Eliza’s future.

B. The students may write the diary entry keeping in mind thatHiggins is totally immersed in the process of training Eliza to be alady. It is just a challenge for him.

• His excitement at Eliza’s first public appearance as a lady.

• His pride at the impression she makes on entering.

• His reaction when she forgets to act like a lady.

• His underlying amusement.

C. You may emphasize that the story should be in passive voice, inthe past tense. You may write a dialogue and write it in story formto demonstrate the manner in which the story is to be written.


You may discuss this in class. The students may come up with thetheme and the reasons for it.

The play tells us that our behaviour is more indicative of our socialstanding than our outward appearance. It also tells us that we, attimes, in our enthusiasm to prove something, forget to consider theimpact of our actions on others.

title page - pearson educationwps.pearsoned.com/wps/media/objects/6524/6681312/final_tb-7.pdf · 3....

Documents