Key to Coursebook
Mother to Son
Comprehension
1. a. It is a mother speaking to a son in the poem.
b. The speaker compares her life with climbing a
staircase that is not crystal smooth. It is a climb
against all the difficulties and hurdles of life.
c. On the stairs, the speaker encounters tacks and
splinters; places where there are no carpets to
cushion oneself from the hard floor; where there
are landings and corners; places without proper
light to move forward. The pins and splinters,
the bareness and darkness all combine to
produce the image of a staircase that is difficult
to climb.
d. Even though there have been obstacles in the
way, the speaker refused to be cowed down
by the difficulties and continues to climb the
difficult staircase of life.
e. The speaker advises the boy to never turn back
because the journey seems so difficult; never
set down on the steps or stop climbing, being
tired and impatient because of the difficulties;
never fall out or avoid the journey of life.
Thus the mother teaches the son the lessons of
perseverance and dogged determination in the
face of all obstacles.
f. I’se still climbin’ is the sentence that has been
repeated in the poem.
g. Line 7 is the shortest in the poem, having
only one word - Bare. It enforces the image of
starkness powerfully.
h. The motherÊs experience of life is that it is a
journey, a difficult climb on a staircase that is
not like climbing a smooth crystal staircase. She
compares her life with climbing a staircase that
is full of hurdles.
i. The son is young and at an impressionable
age. He is not yet well versed with life, and is
yet to face obstacles or struggles. His motherÊs
inspiring words will let him take on life without
fear and hopelessness.
j. The tacks, splinters all point to the hardships of
climbing battered stairs, a journey of pain that
the mother has gone through in real life. The
torn boards point to the dangers and unsafe
situations that she must have faced in reality.
But the mother still urges the son to go onward,
climbing the stairs upward and not avoid the
journey of life. She is not well educated as her
diction shows but she has gained her wisdom
from real life experiences. Her journey has
not been cushioned through the comfort,
smoothness and wealth that a crystal staircase
represents. Yet such is the strength of her mind
that she urges her son to take on the same
path that she has trodden on, and successfully
maneuvered.
Working with Words
1. …ain’t been (meaning, has not been) a contraction of
am not been
It’s had… It has had
I’se (meaning, it has) = I has
goin’…going
reachin’…reaching
climbin’….climbing
landin’s…landings
turnin’…turning
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 ain’t (meaning has not) = am not (line 13) Speak softly!
‘Cause…because Obey elders, sweet brother!
I’se (meaning I am in this instance) = I has (line 18, Obey elders!
line 19)
ain’t⁄(meaning has not) = am not (line 20) Be kind, dear brother!
Be kind!
2. Write these sentences again using standard and Be bold, little brother!
grammatically correct English. Be bold!
a. IÊm expecting a friend for dinner. Be selfless, sweet brother!
b. IÊve been waiting at this bus stop for one hour. Be selfless!
c. IÊm not going to the cinema tonight.
d. TheyÊve been kind of sleepy today. The poem will sound friendly when we advise a
e. She stayed at home because she was ill. brother, sister or a friend.
f. You are not doing this at all if you find itÊs too
difficult to do now. 1. Old Tirumala
Learning about Language Comprehension
Sentences 1.
a. Pick out the statements, questions, commands a. When the king became angry with someone, he
and exclamations. immediately gave orders for that person to be
Statements: i, v, vii thrown into the dungeons below the palace.
Questions: ii, viii b. The king compared Tirumala to a parrot because
Commands: iii, vi he was in the habit of repeating the sentence,
Exclamation: iv Everything happens for our own good.
b. Make five questions from the sentences below. c. The king became very angry before the debate
i. Did it have tacks in it? because he had cut himself on the door. He
ii. Were there places with no carpet on the floor? was enraged that a nail should have been left
iii. Where did he sit down? sticking out of the door.
iv. How does she find it? d. The phrase out of sight, out of mind means when
v. Are you still working hard? someone (or something) is not seen for a long
time, that person (it) is forgotten. Here, since the
Composition king did not see Tirumala every day, he forgot
about him. TirumalaÊs absence wiped him off
Try to write your own poem in which you give
from the kingÊs memory.
someone (a brother, sister or friend) some good
e. The members of the hunting party were relieved
advice.
when they arrived at the river, as the journey
Sister to Brother had been hot and dusty. The cool riverside
tempted them to rest.
Work hard, dear brother! f. When the hunting party arrived at the river, the
Work hard! king, although tired and hungry, did not wait
Study regularly, little brother! to take rest but set off with his bow and arrows
Study regularly! along the bank of the river.
Write neatly, sweet brother! g. The tiger terrified the king; it made him nervous
Write neatly! and he was badly shaken by the incident,
so much so that he decided to return to the
Respect others, dear brother! palace immediately. The incident had also
Respect others! surprised him because the following morning
Speak softly, little brother!

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 he summoned his ministers and asked them to Learning about Language
explain why he had been spared by the tiger.
Sentences
h. (Answers can vary.)
a. Write questions for these answers.
Yes, it is true that everything happens for our
i. What was he called?
own good. We may sometimes feel that things
ii. Who was she?
are taking a bad turn in life, but ultimately, we
iii. I think she was the prime minister, wasnÊt she?
realize that all that happens is for our good. We
iv. IsnÊt this my wallet?
either benefit from them or learn a lesson.
v. Who took a bite out of that apple?
i. A mere cut in his nails frets the king so much
vi. What do they call those two?
that he shouts at and abuses his attendants,
b. Make up a statement, a command, a question and
stamps his feet and threatens to have their
an exclamation for each of the pairs of words.
heads cut off. This clearly shows that the king
(Answers can vary.)
is hot-headed and impatient. The king however
i. Statement: The cat is near the door.
searches for meaning in the little incidents of
Command: Throw that cat out of the door.
life. He is not totally thoughtless. However
Question: Is the cat behind the door?
when he is unable to accept TirumalaÊs reply
Exclamation: That cat! It scratched the door!
that everything happens for peopleÊs own good,
ii. Statement: There is some treasure buried in that
he has the minister thrown into a dungeon. He
island.
is lacking in self-control absolutely as he tries
Command: Fetch the treasure from that island.
to hit Tirumala, who is much older than him,
Question: Is there treasure on that island?
with a vase. He is rash and hasty in his actions
Exclamation: Behold! I have found the treasure
as he leaves for hunting alone and after being
hidden in the island!
scared to death by a tiger, orders for a pack up
iii. Statement: The pots are empty.
immediately. But he is not without wisdom and
Command: DonÊt break the empty pots.
when the true significance of TirumalaÊs words
Question: Why are the pots empty?
finally dawns on him, he orders for TirumalaÊs
Exclamation: How light the empty pots are!
release and showers him with gifts and honours.
iv. Statement: The machines made a loud noise.
2. a. debate b. immediately c. architects d. ornate
Command: Stop the loud noise.
e. feeble
Question: Why is the noise so loud?
(Answers can vary.)
Exclamation: What a loud noise they make!
a. The debate turned out to be the most interesting
c. Convert the following exclamations into
event of the day.
statements.
b. The soldiers set out immediately in search of a
i. That is a lovely dress.
white elephant.
ii. You are very brave.
c. The apartments designed by the architects were
iii. She is very angry.
a treat for the eyes.
iv. It is a very fine day.
d. The ornate palace gates opened to welcome the
v. It is very nice of you to come.
honourable guests.
d. Statements: The king was hot-headed and
e. The dog which had been starving for three days
impatient.
seemed very feeble.
Old Tirumala was devoted to the king.
Working with Words The tiger roared loudly.
Questions: How was the king?
1. a. vast b. explanation c. threatened Was Old Tirumala devoted to the king?
d. opinion e. avoid f. devoted How did the tiger roar?
2. prison/dungeon, decorate/ornate, quickly/ Exclamations: What a hot-headed and impatient
briskly, leave/depart, furious/angry, annoy/ king he is!
irritate, gash/cut, attendant/servant, understand/
comprehend

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 How devoted Old Tirumala is! degradation, pain and death stand about the dungeon,
How loudly the tiger roars! all of them showing signs of regular use. The prisoners
are at times chained and thus rooted to one place.
Idiomatic Language
(Answers can vary.) 2. Home, Sweet Home!
Lalitha set off for the United States to take up a new
Comprehension
project.
Mrs Ravi set about making arrangements for her sonÊs 1. a. JankoÊs nine year old son was drumming and
birthday party. his seven year old daughter was playing the
The traffic jam on the way to the airport set them back tambourine.
by two hours. b. Janko was trying to read the newspaper and his
Spring has set in with beautiful flowers and colourful wife Monica was in the kitchen.
butterflies. c. The children, Anton and IonaÊs music made
If you pay attention to RaghuÊs complaints, it will set JankoÊs temples throb and gave him a headache.
him off grumbling throughout the day. He felt as if the percussion section of a large
The cricket team set off fireworks when they won the orchestra was playing at its loudest.
match. d. When Janko asked his children to stop playing
I opened the gate, and was immediately set on by a the instruments and put away all their toys in
large dog. the cupboard, Monica came out of the kitchen
She set out to break the world record. and challenged Janko, asking him as to where
If the workers set to, they would complete the job in the children would play. Monica also told him
an hour. that they all need to learn to share the space they
The publishers have set up their stalls in the International have, however little it might be. The children
Book Fair. also felt irritated when Janko snored at night
just the way he was feeling annoyed by the noise
Listening and Speaking they were making while playing.
e. MonicaÊs comparison of JankoÊs snoring to
1. a. ii. b. i, ii, iv c.i, ii, iii, v d. ii. e. ii.
a buffalo running here and there made the
2. a. yellow and black
children giggle.
b. did open one eye
f. Wise Eva had helped Janko before by suggesting
c. two
him a way of keeping the birds away from his
d. very still, with eyes shut, without moving a
vegetable patch in the garden.
muscle
g. Eva was small like JankoÊs wife, but much older.
e. a few minutes
Her white hair, parted in the middle and flowing
f. cautiously
over her shoulders made her look like a little
g. looked into the undergrowth, nervously
witch without a cloak and broom.
Composition h. Yes. Janko told Eva a lie that his wife snored
at night while it was actually he himself who
(Answers can vary.) disturbed everybody else by his snoring.
This palace dungeon is a dark cell in the basement of i. After the animals were shifted back to the barn
one of the towers of the palace. The prison is designed from the house, Janko heaved a sigh of relief.
to be very secure with heavy stone walls and iron bars. He felt comfortable in his home sweet home
However, it is not very comfortable because too many with the sound of his wife and children in the
people are crammed in a single cell. The guards are background. He also realized that there was
on duty round the clock. plenty of room for everyone to stay.
Sometimes the dungeons are also used as a place to j. There are certain clues and statements to
torture prisoners so that their screams may not be indicate that the house was indeed small:
easily heard elsewhere in the palace. Several devices of MonicaÊs kitchen was tiny, not larger than a

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 cupboard; Janko kept the children up all night
by his snoring; Janko himself felt bitter that there
was so much of noise around him from which
he could not escape like the sounds made by
the children while playing; rambling of a cart
on the road; the rattling of crockery, etc. He told
Eva that he longed for some space and peace of
mind.
k. JankoÊs actual problem was more psychological.
He felt that if he had a mansion as big as
MikhailÊs down the road, his life would be
the way he wanted it to be ăpeaceful and less
noisy. But because he also knew that he could
never have a house as big as that, he felt more
frustrated. Eva solved his first problem by
suggesting that he should move all the animals
from the barn into his house. After the resultant
chaos, and increased noise, when the animals
were once again moved back to the barn, Janko
felt that there was plenty of room in the house.
l. MonicaÊs statement that one has to learn to share
the given space sums up the ideal attitude when
space is limited. I too would have displayed the
same attitude as MonicaÊs and tried to instill the
idea in the minds of the other family members
too.
2. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. i. Janko said these words.
ii. MonicaÊs question as to where the children
were supposed to play made Janko give this
answer.
iii. Janko is accused of snoring at night.
b. i. Eva, the Wise One is saying these words to
Janko.
ii. Janko had a forlorn expression.
iii. How Janko could have some peace in his
small home for himself with so much noise
around him was on his mind all the time.
Working with Words
1. Use these words and phrases in sentences of your
own.
(Answers can vary.)
Neelam was appreciated for being obedient.
Class V was rebuked for being particularly noisy by
the teacher.
The child appeared irritable as he was forbidden to
play with water.
The food prepared was barely enough for two.
Grandmother commented that grandfatherÊs snore
sounded like a buffalo’s bellow.
Science would have advanced to an unpredictable
level in a million years.
The match ended abruptly due to the rains.
The children ambled along the sidewalk, without
purpose.
The woman looked disbelievingly at the shopkeeper
when he uttered the price of the product.
2. a. precisely b. happily c. loudly d. obedient e.
kindly f. better g. cleaning h. normal i. background
j. expanded k. excited l. agree m. beautiful
n. suddenly o. ended
3. a. drumming - the act of playing on a drum; to
make someone learn or understand something
by repeating it many times
b. clanging - loud sound; call of a crane or goose
c. fresh - recently produced or picked and not
frozen, dried or preserved in tins or cans;
pleasantly clean, pure or cool
d. noise - unpleasant, disturbing sound; make
something known publicly
e. aloft - into a high place; on or above
f. moment - very brief period of time; an exact point
in time
g. holding - an area of land held by lease; to have
and keep in oneÊs grasp; property or possession
h. home - place where one lives as family; native
place of origin
i. pretty - moderately attractive; fairly, quite
j. problem - a thing that is difficult to deal with or
to understand; a question that can be answered
by using logical thought or mathematics.
Learning about Language
Subject and Predicate
a. i. (Janko) rose slowly.
ii. Well done, (Janko).
iii. Now (I) want you to go home.
iv. (Nobody) got any sleep because of the noise.
v. Just do (it).
b. Add suitable subjects to the following so that
they become complete sentences.
(Answers can vary.)
i. The cart ambled down the road.
ii. At the end of the day my father stretches out in
his chair.
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 iii. In the large mansion lies some of the beautiful
paintings of a bygone era.
iv. When they arrived, my brother and I looked
astonished.
v. The dogs chased the cats.
vi. She cleaned up the mess.
Listening and Speaking
(Answers can vary.)
A decent home should provide privacy for solitude,
individual pursuits, personal relationships and
relaxation. Without the possibility of privacy, people
become anxious, children are unable to play or do their
homework, personal relationships suffer, and people
cannot relax or sleep properly, which has a detrimental
effect on health. Home is a place where we feel safe.
It provides physical safety and an emotional haven,
a place to feel comfortable and at peace.
Composition
(Answers can vary.)
Write a letter to a friend. Tell your friend about your
home and why you like or dislike it. Before you end
the letter, explain to your friend how you would
make it a better place.
15, Park Avenue
OfficersÊ Colony
New Delhi ă 110 004
19 December 2012
Dear Karthika,
I hope things are going well with you. It feels
wonderful to write to you after such a long time. Both
of us have shifted our residence and we did not find
time to communicate. Well, how is your new home?
Have you adapted to the new surroundings? You
always wanted a nice garden, so do you have a garden
there? Hope your parents and your grandparents are
fine. Are your grandparents staying with you?
My new home is roomier than the previous one.
ItÊs a three bedroom house and I have a room of
my own here. The presence of my grandparents is
comforting, since my father and mother are working.
Mother comes home only after I return from school
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and now my grandparents are there to receive me.
My grandmother is sick and I take good care of her. I
am also trying to accommodate grandfatherÊs study
table in a suitable place, where he can spend his
leisure time reading books. I am glad that the kitchen
is well-ventilated unlike our previous one. Mother is
really happy. As for the garden, I have planted some
rose plants and a few flower bushes. Since I study
in my room now, grandfather is able to spare a few
moments before the TV in the evenings. I am really
happy for him. Father too has enough space in his
room to accommodate his computer desk. On top of it
all, our house is filled with love and affection. A house
becomes a home only when it is surrounded by love
and affection and ours is truly one of its kind.
Convey my regards to your parents and grandparents.
Do drop in to have a look at our new home.
With love
Savita
The Old Brown Horse
Comprehension
1. a. From the horseÊs appearance and behaviour,
we learn that the horse is weary, old, shaggy, not
very well cared for, and a bit sad; but the horse
longs for and responds to human touch.
b. The horse feels that life is not all that bad when
a passer-by speaks a kind word and strokes its
mane and shaggy coat.
c. The poet asks the reader to stop for a word or
two with the horse, and show some affection
towards the lonely old animal.
d. The horse is no longer used for riding because it
is old; time has passed and it has brought new
methods of transportation such as the motor car,
making the use of the horse redundant.
e. The horseÊs master seems responsible for
neglecting the poor animal and forgetting
him when he started using a motor-car for
transportation.
f. I would have been kinder to the horse, taken
care of his body so that his coat did not remain
shaggy, let the children ride on him to close-by
places once a week, and do something about his
lame leg and blind eyes.
2. a. F b. T c. F d. F Composition
3. c.
(Sample Answers are provided in the lesson plan.)
Understanding Poetry
3. The Girl on the Train
a. The odd lines rhyme: a b c b d e f e.
Comprehension
b. The title of the poem seems to have the hidden
words The Poor Old Brown Horse. The horse has not 1. a. The girlÊs parents advised her about where
really spoken to the poet but he is able to imagine to keep her things and when not to lean out of
all the horseÊs pains and feelings, both of neglect the window. They also advised her not to speak
by his master and joy at the kind words and touch to strangers. She did not follow the last piece of
of a friendly passer-by. The poetÊs appeal at the advice.
end of the poem to all passers-by to stop and speak b. The man went on describing the beauty of
kind words to the horse shows his love for the old Mussoorie especially in October in vivid terms
forgotten animal. to give the girl the impression that he could
see. Also, later he told the girl that the trees
Working with Words seemed to be moving while they, in the moving
2. train, seemed to be standing still. In an effort to
race tin stirrup library true compliment the girl, he cautiously told her that
fetlock bit saddle referee rein she had an interesting face.
cashew jump turnip gallop heading c. The man recollects his memories of Mussoorie
canter spade Shetland pony turret company of the time when he could see. He describes
manacle shoe hock hoof the mountains in October as covered with wild
dahlias, a time when the sun is delicious, and
Learning about Language the night time quiet, when one can sit in front
of a log of fire and drink a little brandy.
d. The manÊs mistake was to ask the girl what
Subject and Predicate
it was like outside the train window. It was a
a. Add suitable predicates to the following to make mistake because the girl would now think that
sentences. the man could not see.
(Answers can vary.) e. The man likes the sound of the womanÊs voice
i. We all boarded the train to Kalka. from the very beginning. He is ready to sit in
ii. That man who is the president inaugurated the the train for any length of time just to hear her
auditorium. speak. According to him, her voice has the
iii. An engine is hardly seen these days. sparkle of a mountain stream. He is sure that
iv. The woman with the glasses is boarding the bus the memory of the encounter would stay in his
to Ooty. heart for the rest of the journey and even some
v. The dog without a tail was chasing the kittens. time after.
b. Underline only the main noun (or nouns) and the f. The new fellow traveller hadnÊt yet been able
main verb in the following. to make out that the man was blind. Otherwise
i. The boy walked along briskly. he wouldnÊt have asked him if he had noticed
ii. His dog followed closely behind. that the girl who just got down was blind.
iii. The long electric train crashed into the back of g. S i n c e t h e m a n w a s f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e
a goods train. mountainous setting, he could see with his
iv. Santosh and Anand are playing in the garden. mind or imagination, the realities that he had
v. We heard them crying. seen when he had his eyes. This is what he refers
vi. The elephant has large ears. to as mind’s eye.
vii.Pradeep and Mala live in Delhi. h. The word interesting, which the man uses to
describe the girlÊs face, is a safe word. If the girl

185
 were ugly or beautiful she would be flattered by
the remark in both cases, and not get offended.
i. The lies that the man told the girl in order to
hide the fact that he was blind were:
i) that he didnÊt see her at first (when the fact
was that he could never see her),
ii) he describes Mussoorie as if he has always
seen it,
iii) he tells her, looking out through the trainÊs
window, that the trees seem to be moving,
iv) he compliments her on her interesting face.
j. No, the girl didnÊt tell any lies. However, from
her conversation, she also makes no effort to
clarify the fact that she cannot see.
2. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. i. The girl says these words to the man who
was her fellow-traveller.
ii. The girl is going to Saharanpur to meet her
aunt. The man is going to Dehra Dun and then
onward to Mussoorie.
iii. The girl is going to meet her aunt in
Saharanpur. She further asks the man as to
where he is going. The man replies that he is
going to Dehra Dun and Mussoorie which the
girl finds to be an enviable prospect.
b. i. The girl says this to the man.
ii. The speaker is relieved that it is a short
journey because she cannot bear to sit in the
train for more than two or three hours.
iii. The man feels that he could sit in the train
for any length of time if he had the chance to
listen to such a mesmerizing voice as the girlÊs.
The man was indeed charmed by the woman,
and so held contrasting views about the length
of the journey.
3. a. The manÊs voice startled the girl.
b. The man wanted to prevent the girl from
discovering that he could not see.
c. The man thought that few girls could resist
flattery.
d. The girl said she could not bear to sit in a
train for more than two or threem hours.
e. The daylight was darkness for the man.
Working with Words
1. a. ÂOh!Ê b. most pleasant c. affected or impressed
d. imagination e. teasing f. mountains
186
2. a. The early bird catches the worm.
b. Look before you leap.
c. Learn to walk before you run.
d. DonÊt count your chickens before they are hatched.
e. You may lead a horse to water but you can’t make
it drink.
Learning about Language
Parts of Speech
a. (Answers can vary.)
Noun ă bus, beauty, Pratik
Adjective ă wonderful, six, pink
Pronoun ă I, you, they
Verb ă are, were, receives, writing
Adverb ă heartily, gracefully, neatly
Conjunction ă yet, neither, nor, either, or
Preposition ă by, from, to, over
Interjection ă ah, bravo
b.
i. Yellow describes (adjective qualifying noun) and
crawled (verb) tells of an action.
ii. Suman (noun) is the name of a person and large
(adjective) describes the company.
iii. Tap (noun) is the name of a thing; yesterday
(adverb of time qualifying the verb leaking) tells
when it was leaking (helps describe the action).
iv. Me (pronoun) stands in place of a noun (the
person speaking) and morning (noun) is the
name given to the early part of the day.
v. And (conjunction) joins two parts of the sentence;
are fed (verb) tells of an action (continuing).
vi. Saw (verb) tells of a past action; in (preposition)
shows the relation between peacock and forest.
vii.Oh! (interjection) shows a feeling or emotion;
new (adjective) describes the car.
Listening and Speaking
2.
ee: see, seemed, keep, heel
e: detailed, she
ea: lean, speak
3. (Answers can vary.)
Many children are taught never to speak to strangers,
but I think that many people are friendly, and helpful,
and if we are in distress, asking the help of a stranger
is possibly the best possible thing one can do.
As both individuals and a society, we can make
choices. As individuals, we can decide not to travel
because we fear terrorism or we can decide to see
the world because the world is wonderful. We can
fear strangers because they might be attackers, or we
can talk to strangers because they might become our
friends.
Composition
Write about the things you are likely to see from the
window of a train as it rattles along the tracks.
(Answers can vary.)
A journey by train is a pleasant experience for all
of us. I can never forget the travel to Lucknow last
summer vacation. I boarded the train along with my
parents and younger brother. Soon the journey began,
and the train was moving quite fast. The first thing
that impressed me was the beauty of the landscape
outside. There were green valleys and tropical plants
everywhere. I also came across rubber plantations and
some vegetable gardens. It was early morning and I
saw everything bathed mysteriously in the dim light
of the dawn. The air was fresh and the mist-covered
plants swayed in the gentle breeze. Different kinds
of birds were chirping and flying here and there. A
bullock cart loaded with earthen pots passed by. Some
children greeted us by waving anxiously from their
houses. The train passed among lush green fields,
valleys, hills and forests. The distant trees seemed to
move in the opposite direction. The glow of the rising
sun was warm and pleasant. We could see farmers
had begun ploughing their fields. There were jute
and sugarcane plants too. We also came across tall
factory chimneys which emitted smoke. On the whole,
I enjoyed the journey and it was a memorable one.
The Poem
Comprehension
1. a. The twig should be planted, watered and set
where the sun will be above it, to become
healthy and strong.
b. If it is cared for, the twig will develop into a tall
bush with many flowers and sparkling leaves.
c. A closet is a large cabinet or area like a cupboard,
for storage; in it there may be odds and ends
such as a mousetrap and blunt tools.
d. The closet is not used much; there are mousetraps
in it (a mousetrap is not used very often), and
the tools are blunt (again, showing that they are
seldom used).
e. No, the twig will not grow in a closet. It is too
dark, and there is little fresh air in a closet for a
plant to develop.
f. The twig is compared to an old twisted nail in
the second stanza.
g. Yes, the message that the poet is conveying to the
reader is that one should look after, nurture and
provide support to something that may appear
small and useless.
2. a. It is nothing more than a twig; it appears
insignificant.
b. And plant it (place it) where the sun will...
c. Grow (sprout) and spread vigorously and
healthily all over the place.
d. The grass blades will bend and regain their
shape and form (like springs) in the wind.
e. The grass blades will touch and brush against,
collide into each other.
Working with Words
1. Find words of the opposite meaning in the poem.
a. large/little f. sharpened/blunted
b. short/tall g. strengthen/waste (shrivel)
c. below/above h. straight/twisted
d. few/many i. close/open
e. staleness/freshness j. still (not moving)/blowing
2. a. dusty, dark, rarely-used closet
b. rusty, twisted, iron nail
c. blowing, cold, harsh wind
d. green, lush, clashing grass-blades
e. twisted, long, thirsty roots
f. green, sparkling, withered leaves
Research
a. room b. clip c. storm d. herbs e. shoots f. buds
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 Learning about Language
Sentences
1, 5, and 6 are complete sentences.
a. i. Raghu, Shankara, Chennai, Tuesday
ii. Brindavan Express, Bengaluru
iii. Chennai, Sri Lanka, Air India
iv. Mr and Mrs Jenkins, Park Lane, Colombo
b. day, children, hill, bicycles, grass, rocks, road, river,
village, human, toys, land
Proper Nouns
a. Names of things, names of planets, names of
schools, names of states, names of freedom
fighters etc.
b. Geography, Madrid, Mr Jacob, Stalin, Allah,
Agra, Christianity, United Nations, Pratap,
Captain Rao, Saturday, Venus, Pepsicola, Taj
Mahal
c. i) Brazilian ii) Elizabethan iii) Martian iv)
Biblical v) Buddhist
Composition
Write a paragraph or two about what you might do
with a pencil.
The pencil is a tool which we use almost everyday. It
was invented by N J Conte in 1564. We use pencils to
write, do our homework, sketch, complete the daily
crossword etc. Most pencil cores are made of graphite
mixed with a clay binder, leaving grey or black marks
that can be easily erased. Other types of pencil core
such as charcoal pencils, coloured pencils and grease
pencils are less widely used. Mechanical pencils donÊt
need sharpening and can achieve a finer and consistent
line if we are doing technical drawing or fine writing.
But they cost more than traditional pencils. Traditional
pencils are generally inexpensive and I prefer them for
their availability, simplicity and their feel.
I generally use a cramp-resistant grip for writing long
essays. They are comfortable and great for drawing
and writing long essays because they keep my hand
free from cramps. The softest leads make the darkest
lines while the hardest leads make the lightest lines. If
we are drawing, we might outline with a harder lead,
then darken and shade with a softer lead. I prefer to
use pencils with built-in erasers. Apart from colouring,
I use coloured pencils to outline and coordinate
188
various items. We need to try out a variety of pencils
and see which ones suit our purpose before choosing
one. Thinner lead pencils are good for filling in small
blanks because they have more precision. If possible,
we can go to a stationery shop that sells pencils loose
in bins or has display models that we can try, and
then buy. We must take care to select the one that is
comfortable, and writes smoothly before buying it.
Clever Jadhoji
Comprehension
1. a. Jadhoji BhattÊs eyes still had a bright spark in
them showing that his mind was still alert,
despite his age.
b. JadhojiÊs nephew Vallabhji, who officiated as
the royal priest, coughed to attract his uncleÊs
attention while he was meditating.
c. JadhojiÊs veiled complaint was that despite he
being an elderly person and the fact that he had
been the priest of the royal family for seventy
years or more, the younger ruler Sabal Singh
did not show any respect towards him. He
didnÊt even get up from his seat when the priest
entered the room and continued chewing his
paan. It was a veiled retort to the elder brother
Arjan SinghÊs humble words that the brothers
could have gone to meet him instead of his
coming all the way to the palace that Jadhoji
simply said that they were busy people and for
him it was not much of an effort to come and
meet them.
d. Jadhoji was aware of the consequences that
he would have to meet with if Sabal Singh,
the rude and cruel brother got an inkling of
JadhojiÊs attempt to help the elder brother.
Jadhoji shuddered when Sabal Singh smiled
and showed his stained teeth. It was as if he
was warning Jadhoji to be on his side and not
go against him, by supporting his elder brother.
e. When Jadhoji got home he sat in the verandah
and thought deeply. He was determined that
Surendranagar must go to the polite and humble
brother Arjan Singh. He finally chalked out a
plan to achieve this.
f. At the palace the next day, Jadhoji took a piece
of paper out of his bag, tore it in two and wrote
something on each half. He then told the princes
 that he had written the words Surendranagar and f. Sabal Singh might have said these words to
Rampur on the pieces of paper, and asked them Arjan Singh.
each to choose one.
g. Yes, by swallowing the paper, Arjan Singh acted Working with Words
like the obedient pupil of the story Jadhoji had 1. officiated 2. devoted 3. adorned 4. detected
told to the two princes the day before. 5. determined 6. veiled
h. Sabal Singh was most surprised because his
brother had swallowed the paper without even Learning about Language
looking at what was written in it.
i. Arjan Singh was polite and kind. He showed Collective Nouns
respect to Jadhoji by standing up when he
entered the room. He showed concern that the sheep·flock
old man had come to meet them at a critical sailors·crew
time when the two brothers could not decide stars·galaxy
how to divide the land amongst themselves. He musicians·orchestra
was also sharp enough to catch the message of people gathered in a church·congregation
the story told by the priest. He behaved like an people listening in a theatre·audience
obedient pupil as per the priestÊs instruction and eleven footballers·team
swallowed the paper without seeing as to what mountains·range
was written in it, trusting the wise old manÊs bees·swarm
plan completely. barbarians·horde
j. The problem with the division of the land was directors·board
that both the rulers wanted Surendranagar flowers·bunch
in their territories as it was the richer area of ships·fleet
land compared to Rampur which was not so wolves·pack
productive. Both the brothers wanted to make cattle·herd
this crucial choice first. criminals·gang
k. Jadhoji told the story about the rishi and his
pupil to the brothers so that Arjan Singh could Abstract Nouns
follow his advice and act in the same way as a. pride friendliness lightness
the wise pupil. It was a hint as to what Arjan victory peace
should do the next day for JadhojiÊs plan to be b. freedom delicacy width thinness height
successful. sweetness breadth honesty awkwardness
l. Clever Jadhoji probably wrote Rampur on c. kindness tidiness helpfulness laziness quietness
both the chits so that even though Arjan Singh foolishness loyalty accuracy hardiness
swallowed one without looking at it, he got
Surendranagar. Verbs
2. a. Sabal Singh might have said these words to Pick out the verbs in the following.
himself. a. crowded b. shouted, cheered. c. want, book d. fell
b. The Rishi might have said these words to e. Be, might fall f. spent g. go h. run, buy
himself.
c. Jadhoji Bhatt might have said these words to Composition
Arjan and Sabal Singh.
Write a brief description of each of the characters
d. The first pupil of the Rishi might have said these
in the story.
words to himself.
Jadhoji: Jadhoji has a bald head with little white hair.
e. Arjan Singh might have said these words to
His brow is adorned with holy ash and his sparkling
himself.

189
 eyes are deeply sunken. His lips are cracked and
tightly drawn together in silent prayer and meditation.
Jadhoji is clever and alert. He is loyal to the royal
family and interested in their well-being. He is able
to assess the brothersÊ characters and guide the more
deserving one to richness. He is warm and courteous
even to the brother he does not like, and he is cunning
enough to be that way so that the younger brother
would not suspect that Jadhoji does not have his
interests at heart.
Arjan Singh: Arjan Singh has a friendly face and
sharp features. He is tall, slim and has a handsome
personality. His face reflects his kind nature, humility
and politeness.
Arjan Singh is always polite and his people love him
dearly. He always has the welfare of his people in
his mind. He treats Jadhoji with great kindness and
respect. He is a modest and an obedient man who
always listens to the advice of good, old Jadhoji. He
is humble and has complete faith in JadhojiÊs loyalty.
Sabal Singh: Sabal Singh has an angry face and wicked
eyes. He is physically short and very stout. He has red
stained teeth which may be attributed to his habit of
chewing paan.
Sabal Singh is very rude. He doesnÊt trust Jadhoji and
treats him in a hostile and disrespectable manner. He is
cruel and behaves like a ruffian. He knows that Jadhoji
is afraid of him and threatens him by showing his red
stained teeth which makes the old man shudder.
The Way Through the Woods
Comprehension
1. a. The road through the woods is hidden in the
foliage.
b. The road was shut seventy years ago. Now the
trees, the dense undergrowth below the trees
and thin plants of the woods have hidden it
from view.
c. The animals do not fear men because they see
so few travelling inside the woods. They are
probably also protected by the keeper.
d. In the woods, one can hear mysterious sounds
like the beat of a horseÊs feet, and the swish of
a skirt in the dew.
190
e. Yes. The rhyme scheme of the first half of the
poem is: abcb/aded/dada.
f. The word anemones is pronounced as (an/em/en/
eez).
g. The road might have led to some place out
of the woods, where gallant soldiers and
maidens mingled, a place above the earth where
unfulfilled wishes took definite shape. The road
became disused because it was shut seventy
years ago.
h. The poem takes us to the realm of imagination,
which is why I like it a lot. In the first stanza
the poet is specific about a road that was shut
seventy years ago. But towards the end of the
poem, he makes an absolute turnaround and
says that there is no such road through the
woods. The picture of a late summer evening,
otters whistling, unseen noises all create an
aura of mystery. We are left wondering why the
road was shut once, and whether the road really
existed or had a mythical quality about it.
2. Answer the following with reference to context.
a.
i. It refers to the road through the woods.
ii. It was shut seventy years ago.
iii. It is doubtful if the road through the woods
really existed or not. Trees have been
planted; the road is covered under a dense
undergrowth of small trees; badgers and
other animals roll about where the road once
ran through.
b.
i. The horse rider and the maiden knew this.
ii. They steadily galloped through the woods, as
if they knew exactly where the old lost road
was directing them.
iii. The roads, the sounds, the people are all
imaginary. Only the people whose presence
is felt on late summer evenings knew the
road well. The only real things are the
dense wood, the cool night air and the otter
whistling to his mate.
Working with Words
1. (Answers can vary.)
The runners have noticeably quickened their pace.
My grandfather always goes for a stroll in the morning.
Soldiers were marching up and down outside the waddle · to walk with short steps, swinging from
government buildings. side to side
The duckling managed to waddle to the river.
He slouched across the room and collapsed in a chair. Punctuation
The beautiful actress strutted like a peacock on the a. Rewrite the following sentences putting in
stage. commas.
The child toddled unsteadily and fell on the carpet. i. In his shop he sells nuts, bolts, screws, pins and
Ram trudged back to his house after a long walk in paper.
the evening. ii. During the holidays he visited his brother, his
Gita shuffled down the corridor to her classroom. uncle, his fatherÊs friend, his grandfather and
The children dawdled about in the nursery and counted his grandmother.
the sunflowers. iii. The leaf floated along in the current, whirled
My cousins went for a ramble along the seashore. round and round, twisted over, stopped for a
Jivan picked up his crutches and hobbled across the brief moment, and then disappeared.
room. iv. The bells on the tree, streamers of every colour
Kamala roamed aimlessly as she was totally frustrated. hanging from the ceiling, balloons of all shapes,
The injured cricketer limped off the field. a large star, and millions of sparkling lights,
Pritam crossed the wide road in a few strides. completed the decoration in the hall.
The travellers plodded their way through the muddy b. Make up your own sentences, using the words in
fields. each list.
2. 3. (Answers can vary.)
dawdle · to take a long time to do something or i. Aeroplanes travel faster than trains, bullock-
go somewhere carts, bicycles or cars.
hobble · to walk with difficulty, especially because ii. Asian countries like India, China, Malaysia,
oneÊs feet or legs hurt Indonesia and Thailand follow different
limp · lacking strength or energ cultures.
march · to walk with stiff regular steps like a iii. Hockey, cricket and golf are outdoor games,
soldier while table tennis and squash are indoor games.
pace · the speed at which somebody or something iv. Among TarunÊs blue shirt, JadavÊs grey shirt,
walks, runs or moves PremÊs white and black shirt and LaxmanÊs
plod · to walk slowly and laboriously with heavy yellow shirt, PremÊs white and black shirt
steps appeared the best.
ramble · to walk for pleasure across the countryside
roam · to walk or travel around an area without Learning about Language
purpose
shuffle · to walk slowly without lifting oneÊs feet Suffixes
completely off the ground
slouch · to stand, sit or move droopingly and lazily, Add the suffixes –ing and –ed to the following.
often with shoulders and head bent forward 1. laughing/laughed 2. stopping/stopped
stride · to walk with long steps 3. hitting 4. boxing/boxed
stroll · to walk somewhere in a leisurely way 5. catching 6. thinking
strut · to walk in a proud way to show that one 7. fixing/fixed 8. running
thinks one is important 9. planning/planned 10. boiling/boiled
toddle · to walk like a small child with short, 11. sitting 12. posting/posted
tottering steps 13. flipping/flipped 14. shipping/shipped
trudge · to walk laboriously and wearily because 15. joining/joined 16. fattening/fattened
one is tired or carrying something heavy 17. paying 18. chatting/chatted
19. placing/placed 20. trapping/trapped

191
 Listening and Speaking
(Answers can vary.)
a. their: Their parties are always fun.
there: There are two people waiting outside.
b. where: Where do your parents stay?
were: We were working from home.
c. lose: The company stands to lose financially.
loose: Check that the plug has not come loose.
d. scent: The air was filled with the scent of
wild flowers.
sent: IÊve sent Anshu to buy some milk.
e. quiet: I knew I had to keep quiet about it.
quite: Even quite young children can manage
this job.
Composition
Can you explain this mystery? Write about it.
(Answers can vary.)
It appears to be an unfinished story where we do not
know who the galloping rider and the maiden are,
where they are going or whether they finally reach
their destination or not. We do not know where the
road leads them to. Just like the mystifying road, the
answers to these questions are puzzling. The quoted
lines read like a medieval gothic romance where there
are princes, maidens and horses. The otter calling
its mate depicts a note of romance. But everything
vanishes suddenly when the poet by a stroke of his pen
says that there is no road through the woods. Hence
it might all be a figment of the poetÊs imagination.
5. The Toy-Box
Comprehension
1. a. After entering the grounds in their car, the
children heard the pleasing crunch of the tyres
as they passed over the gravel.
b. The week before they moved out the children
had fun living in their old house with boxes
strewn about everywhere. Suddenly their
magical playground was whisked away and they
were left with only a few suitcases.
c. Matilda was impressed by the large gates and
magnificent gardens of the new house. Spring
blossoms were everywhere. Birds twittered in
the trees and bees buzzed about the flowers.
But what was beautiful for Matilda turned out
192
to be scary for Tom who felt the house was too
big, old and spooky.
d. Tom first heard a cry in the playroom. He
thought that a cat had entered the room or the
sound was the figment of his imagination.
e. Tom looked out of the window at the garden
outside and found it to be bright, warm, green
and fresh. He wanted to be there and not in the
dark house with its cold, echoing rooms and
strange, inexplicable sounds.
f. TomÊs mother asked him not to be silly. She
asked Tom to come with all of them to the
playroom to check that there were no strange
sounds there in reality. She asked Tom not to be
a scaredy-cat.
g. By the end of the week everyone in the house
was annoyed with TomÊs constant screaming.
They came running to the room whenever he
screamed. His parents thought he was doing
this to draw attention to himself. Matilda
blamed Tom for their parentsÊ moodiness and
warned him that they could lose the right to use
the playroom if Tom kept shouting like that,
without any apparent reason.
h. TomÊs father took a 3-iron golf club with himself
to investigate the coalbunker, just in case there
was someone posing some kind of danger to the
family.
i. All the rubbish at the side of the house must
have been cleared out of the house when it was
renovated.
j. It was a ‘suitable accommodation’ for different
reasons to different people in the story. The
family staying in the part of the house adjacent
to the playroom had moved there by chance
for shelter, finding it empty, while Tom and his
family had moved in the main house, shifting
from their old house.
k. Unlike his sister Matilda who was impressed by
the large gates and magnificent gardens of the
new house, Tom was scared as he felt that the
house was too big, old and spooky. Once inside,
Tom looked out of the window at the garden
outside and found it to be bright, warm, green
and fresh. He wanted to be there and not in the
dark house with its cold, echoing rooms and
strange, inexplicable sounds.
 TomÊs view about the house changes after the e. purposefully
reality about the strange noises comes out in the (Answers can vary.)
open. Finally it is he who says that the spooky a. The child bade goodbye to his classmates
house has become a warm and comforting home tearfully.
where the previously ill and moaning childÊs b. The detective spookily narrated the tale of the
laughter can now be heard on the sunny lawns. haunted house.
l. The family which stayed in the part of the house c. The baby had learnt to walk steadily without his
adjacent to the playroom must have moved motherÊs assistance.
there for shelter, as it had been empty, and d. Ramu climbed on to the attic rather cautiously.
unnoticed by others. They mentioned that they e. Raju had something important to say and strode
did so, having nowhere else to live. Maybe, they over purposefully to the podium.
were too poor to rent an apartment of their own, 3. Give the full form and explain the following
or some grave misfortune had reduced them to abbreviations.
this condition, as a result of which they had lost Bachelor of Arts (BA); Before Christ (BC); Director
their home and belongings. (Dir.); Doctor (Dr); Fahrenheit (°F); Friday (Fri.);
2. a. iv b. iii January (Jan.); Kilogram (kg); minutes per hour (mph);
3. Answer the following with reference to context. Mister (Mr); Mistress (Mrs); November (Nov.); North
a. i. Father said these words. West (NW); October (Oct.); March (Mar.)
ii. The speaker says just in case in this 4. a. Different ways of doing something ă The
context thinking about the possibility of proverb may be used when there are many ways
some unexpected danger. of achieving the same results.
iii. Father takes the 3-iron golf club and leads b. The person who is patient gets what he wants
the way, swinging it in the air. Later he ă The proverb may be used when a person
raps on the door of the room which is trying hard enough and is patient to be
the family had occupied. Once inside successful.
the room, he stood back with his club c. Never give up ă The proverb may be used when
raised. we have to persevere to achieve a good result.
b. i. TomÊs screaming made Father enter d. Good or ill fated things happen in large numbers
the play room in a galloping manner, ă The proverb may be used when misfortunes
indicating his hurriedness. come incessantly.
ii. This time, he found the rest of the e. Make use of an opportunity when it comes ă The
family standing in silence and mother proverb may be used when we should make
indicating with one finger on her lips use of good opportunities when they present
for him to be quiet. themselves to us, rather than wait and waste
iii. Father dragged the box from where such chances.
the sound was coming over the wooden
floorboards in the playroom. Learning about Language
a. Subject Verb Object
Working with Words i. The packers packed all the boxes.
1. a. LAWN b. BLOSSOMS c. PLAYROOM ii. I pulled a couple of toys.
d. STAIRCASE e. TOYS f. RUBBISH iii. We entered the playroom.
g. MEDICINE h. HUSBAND iv. He carried the box.
2. Write down the adverbs formed from these v. My sister blamed me.
adjectives; then use the adverbs in sentences of vi. I felt the breeze.
your own. vii. Mother explained what had happened.
a. tearfully b. spookily c. steadily d. cautiously viii. Someone had used the doorway.

193
 b. Find the verb and the object in the following
sentences.
Verb Object
i. scolded her brother
ii. found an air vent
iii. put the clothes
iv. wanted medicine
v. hit the door
c. Fill in the blanks with suitable objects.
i. the plants ii. honey iii. the answers
iv. the old woman v. What
Composition
(Answers can vary.)
It was the morning of Diwali. We shared Diwali
greetings and sweets with our relatives and friends.
My mother wanted to buy some more sweets. So we
set off towards the shop near our house. We could
see people wishing each other and bursting crackers
on the streets. We entered the shop and bought some
sweets. As we stepped out, there was a very loud
noise! It sounded as though some bomb had exploded.
We were shocked and dropped the sweets in fear.
There was a fire blazing very close to us. Someone
had burst the crackers in the wrong direction. There
was such a lot of pandemonium that we were dazed
and could not even think of running away from there.
People and dogs ran helter-skelter. Some of them were
hurt in the fire, which was spreading very fast. There
was a huge crowd and we could not even move an inch
from where we stood, being petrified. The scene we
witnessed was horrifying. Thankfully, the fire engine
arrived and doused the fire.
I was in a state of shock. The disorder, noise and smoke
had left me totally traumatized. I was unable to move
normally. My mother gave me some water to drink
and we returned home in a taxi. I had never been so
frightened in my life before. The noise of that day
has since created an aversion in me towards bursting
crackers. The very sight of crackers scares me and
the sound makes me tremble. I just dislike going to
crowded places anymore as well. I doubt if I would
ever get over this fear, but time is a great healer and I
can only hope that someday, I would be able to burst
crackers again, without any fear.
194
6. The White Mouse Circus
Comprehension
1. a. The grandmother decided to go to Bournemouth
in order to obey her doctorÊs orders.
b. According to the boy, the hotel was an enormous
white building on the sea-front which seemed
to be a pretty boring place to spend a summer
holiday in. He also says that the ground floor
of the hotel was a maze of public rooms, all of
them named in gold letters on the doors.
c. The grandmother had given the boy a pair
of white mice before the trip as a consolation
because Bournemouth was quite a boring place
for a small boy.
d. The first trick the boy taught the white mice was
to creep up the sleeve of his jacket and come out
by his neck.
e. The hotel manager got angry with the boy and
his grandmother because firstly, the boy had
kept his pet mice in the hotel room, which was
not allowed, and then the grandmother had
suggested that the hotel was full of rats.
f. The boy was confident that he had found a good
place to train his mice because the ballroom was
large and empty. The room had been used for
a meeting of the members of the Royal Society
for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and he
thought that even if those members were to
come into the room while he was there, they
would be good, kind people who would not
drive him out.
g. The grandmother outwitted the hotel manager
by suggesting that the hotel contained rats, and
it might be closed down if this fact was reported
to the Public Health Authorities. This way she
cleverly managed to get her grandson keep his
pet mice, even though it had been forbidden by
the hotel manager. She was thoughtful enough
to gift her grandson two white mice in a cage
before their trip, realizing that Bournemouth
was a boring place for a young boy.
h. & i. (Answers can vary.)
Stretch a string tight between your two hands, keeping
it short. Put the mouse on your right hand and a little
piece of a cake on your left hand. The mouse can see
and smell the cake, and only has to take two steps
along the string. Each time the mouse successfully
crosses the string, allow it to nibble a piece of the
cake, and lengthen the string. In this way a mouse
can be taught to walk a tight-rope. Difficulties might
relate to objection of other people; the restlessness of
the rats, etc.
2. a. ItÊs utter nonsense!
b. They were immense fun. (Terrific literally means
causing terror.)
c. Here bristly means a) with thick set hair
(bristles), and b) with a temper, ready for a fight.
d. Going mauve in the face· getting very angry.
e. The manager is afraid that if the grandmother
follows out her threat, there may be more
trouble to deal with than just the two white
mice, so he suggests a simpler solution· which
will suit both parties.
f. There were so many rooms and so many
corridors, that the ground floor of the hotel
appeared like a maze to the little boy.
Working with Words
1. Make a list of all the colours you can think of.
Then try to use them in sentences to describe how
people feel.
(Answers can vary.)
KiranÊs face turned white with fear when she heard
the hooting of an owl.
I wasnÊt well last month, but IÊm in the pink now.
Ravi who used to smoke regularly gave up smoking
once he saw the red light.
Beena was green with envy when her friend won the
first prize in the debate.
2. (Answers can vary.)
a. My uncle popped in today for a cup of tea.
b. Mr Khan burst in to check whether his son was
studying.
c. The crab sidled away after a short stand-off.
d. The soldiers marched bravely to meet their
opponents.
e. The beggar wandered along the seashore for
about two hours.
f. Time appears to creep along on dull, cloudy days.
g. Umesh ran as fast as he could to win the race.
h. All the rats are scuttling away, as the old house
is being demolished.
i. The rain kept pouring incessantly and we could
not go out.
j. She tiptoed back into the room when he was
asleep.
k. & l. He ventured forward inspite of stiff opposition
from his friends.
3. When would you use the following words? Check
their meanings in a dictionary, then use the words
in sentences of your own.
a. scrabble ă a board game in which players try
to make words from letters printed on small
plastic blocks and connect them to words that
have already been placed on the board ă I enjoy
playing scrabble with my father.
b. scramble ă to move quickly, especially with
difficulty, using hands to help ă The thief
managed to scramble over the wall.
c. scrape ă to remove something from a surface by
moving something sharp and hard like a knife
across it ă We scraped away the top layer of the
wallpaper.
d. weave ă to make cloth, fabric by crossing threads
or strips across, over and under each other by
hand or on a machine ă The mother wove a lovely
sweater for her baby.
e. stampede ă a sudden, panicked rush of cattle,
horses, men, etc., in the same direction especially
because they are frightened or excitedăThe
school bell rang and there was a stampede for
the gate.
Learning about Language
Pronouns
Rewrite the following sentences so that every
underlined noun or group of words is replaced by
the correct personal pronoun.
1. She gave it some food.
2. They bought them.
3. She took us to see it.
4. It must have been cut down by you.
5. He spoke to them about the book.
6. He said, ÂLet me have it.Ê
7. We wanted to stop it.
Listening and Speaking
office: bureau, head office, headquarters, manor,
workstation, etc.
195
 airport: airstrip, arrivals, baggage claim, baggage Composition
reclaim, business lounge, check-in counter,
1. Find out what you can about raccoons and fill in
runway, terminal, etc.
the information in the table.
money: account, bank statement, bankrupt, cash,
cashier, cheque, credit (card), currency, deposit, Appearance (size/ Raccoons are medium-
investment, savings, withdraw, etc. colour/special features) sized mammals having
railway: junction, level crossing, subway, track, narrow distinctive black patches
gauge, signal, cable car, etc. around their eyes that
poetry: alliteration, bard, conceit, iambic pentameter, look like a mask. They
metaphysical, meter, etc. have a bushy, black-
mountains: cliff, ascent, foothills, highlands, hillock, ringed tail, clawed feet,
peak, precipice, range, etc. and a pointed snout.
laboratory: experiment, dissect, detection, sample, They have long fingers
specimen, etc. and toes and an acute
electricity: active, charge, current, discharge, sense of touch. Their
electromagnet, energy, grid, jolt, etc. grayish coat mostly
weather: climate, spell, meteorology, seasonal, consists of dense under
barometer, weather forecast, etc. fur which insulates
cinema: auditorium, movie theatre, multiplex, etc. against cold weather.
restaurant: buffet, bistro, café, coffee bar, dining car, Two of the raccoonÊs most
eatery, pizzeria, joint, pavement café, etc. distinctive features are
music: chord, crescendo, discord, drumming, harmony, its extremely dexterous
lilt, strains, tone, etc. front paws and its facial
painting: canvas, caricature, abstract, cartoon, collage, mask.
engraving, etc. Habitat (where they The original habitats of
workshop: assembly, audience, audio-conferencing, live) the raccoon are deciduous
conference, conclave, forum, etc. and mixed forests, but
oceans: waves, foam, beach, seaway, tide, salt water, due to their adaptability
billows, sink, etc. they have extended their
range to mountainous
areas, coastal marshes,
and urban areas.
Food habits (what Raccoons are omnivores;
they eat/where food is they eat almost anything,
found) including frogs, crayfish,
birds, mice and other
small mammals, fruits,
nuts, plants, crops, and
garbage. Raccoons find
much of their food in
water.

196
Additional information Raccoons are nocturnal
mammals related to
pandas. They are shy
by nature, and are very
agile. They climb trees
well, moving forward or
backward on their way
up or down the tree.
They are one of the few
animals that can descend
a tree headfirst. They can
also drop, unharmed, 35
to 40 feet. They are fast
runners and excellent
swimmers. They are also
known for their excellent
night vision and keen
sense of hearing.
2. Use the information you have gathered about
raccoons in a short story.
(Answers can vary.)
Jimmy, the raccoon decides to invite his friends Tom
the monkey, Jumbo the elephant, Spotty the leopard,
Softy the pigeon and Greenie the parrot to dinner. He
wishes to treat them to a sumptuous feast providing
the favourite food of all these animals. He collects
bananas and peanuts for Tom, sugarcane, grass and
bananas for Jumbo, meat for Spotty, grain for Softy and
nuts for Greenie. He waits for them eagerly, but they
donÊt turn up. He decides to go in search of them. On
the way he is greeted by Bolly the bear. He conveys
the message that his friends have been captured by
Empy the lion. Jimmy is shocked but wants to save
his friends. He takes the help of Bolly and Winny the
fox. The fox meets Empy and says that a hunter has
laid a trap for him near the sea. The lion roars in anger
and follows the fox to have a look at the trap. When
he is just near the sea, all the animals push him into
the water. The waves drag him to the middle of the
sea. The captured animals along with Bolly, Jimmy
and Winny make good escape. Jimmy now has two
new friends, Bolly and Winny. They all have a lavish
dinner. Jimmy offers Bolly the bear some honey, the
delicacy he loves and Winny the fox two bunches of
sweet grapes. All of them rejoice and enjoy themselves.
The Railway Junction
Comprehension
1. a. A junction is a place where two or more objects
(roads, railway lines) join, meet or cross.
b. No. Perhaps there is no real tunnel; the gloom
in the poetÊs mind appears like a tunnel.
c. By the expression But not their way, the poet
means that his journey shall not be a routine
one, not in the direction of the other people. It
reminds one of Robert FrostÊs poems where the
poet decides to travel on the unconventional
road not frequented by all.
d. I sit alone…, But not their way…tell us about the
loneliness of the poet.
e. There are several clues that tell us that the
railway junction is not in a city. The surrounding
is natural as nothing but the thrushÊs song is
heard. Also, from here the tracks go onward
towards the hills and seas. Unlike in a city
junction there is no crowd, no hustle and bustle.
The poet sits in silent calm and peace.
f. At the railway junction there were a bow-legged
groom, a parson in black, a widow and her son,
a sailor, a gamekeeper, and a fair woman. They
had already traversed some way as they were
muted by the experiences of life. Each of them
seemed to have made their own choice about
the path to take.
g. (Answers can vary.)
The poem is more reflective than sad. The poet
is pensive, but quite happy to be alone with his
own thoughts, in the silence. He sits alone but in
peace. The appointed hour refers to the final time
which comes for all of us. At this hour, there are
no companions and the final journey is solitary.
2. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. i. One of the two railway tracks wheels onward
towards the hill.
ii. The other track goes toward the distant seas.
b. i. This statement means that at the junction
recently, until a short while ago, there were
quite a few people about.
ii. The throng was there at the junction, each
individual waiting to make their journey
onward towards their respective destinations.
197
 iii. A bow-legged groom, a parson in black, a Composition
widow and her son, a sailor, a gamekeeper,
(Answers can vary.)
and a fair woman were in the throng. They
have all left from the junction for either of Where from? Character Where to?
the two final destinations. Cornwall, bow-legged A famous
3. Find words in the poem which are paired with the a town in groom cathedral near the
following. All the words are describing words or England hills
adjectives. Cornwall, parson A famous
a. tunneled b. distant c. gaunt d. appointed a town in cathedral near the
e. darkening f. nocturnal g. signal h. discreetly England hills
i. bow-legged Cornwall, the widow A famous
a town in cathedral near the
Working with Words England hills
Cornwall, the widowÊs A famous
Prefixes a town in son cathedral near the
a. See if you can write the negative forms of the England hills
following. Cornwall, sailor A famous
i. unable ii. unavoidable iii. disrespectful a town in cathedral near the
iv. invisible v. non-violent vi. disunited England hills
vii incorrect viii. disapproving ix. discourteous Cornwall, gamekeeper A famous
x. inconsiderate xi. uncooperative a town in cathedral near the
b. (Answers can vary.) England hills
Examples: Cornwall, the fair one A famous
unexpected, unconscious, unhelpful, ungrateful, a town in cathedral near the
distasteful, discomfort, disallow, disorderly, incapable, England hills
inelegant, indecisive, insecure, non-cooperative, non-
aligned, non-vegetarian, non-religious
The bow-legged groom, the parson, the widow and her
Learning about Language son, the sailor, the gamekeeper and the fair one veiling
her face are all from the same town of Cornwall, in
Southwest England. Though they are from the same
Adjectives town, they have not spoken to each other before. They
See if you can pick out and name all the adjectives meet at the railway junction, but do not attempt to
in the following sentences. speak or even flash a friendly smile. But when they
1. dangerous·quality, thick·quality board the train to visit a famous cathedral near the
2. her·possessive, yellow-and-red·quality hills, each of them feels that they need company. So
3. His·possessive, grey-haired·quality, delightful· they start conversing at a slow pace. Very soon they
quality discover that the purpose of their visit is the same.
4. This/that·demonstrative, big·quality, small· They are visiting the beautiful cathedral to celebrate its
quality golden jubilee. They are all excited and each of them
5. Our·possessive, amusing·quality, every· narrates how he/she has prepared himself/herself
distributive for the music contest to be held there. They reach the
6. four·quantitative, every·distributive, our· cathedral by night.
possessive
7. poor·quality 7. Across Three Millennia
Comprehension
Listening and Speaking
1. a. Philip is a young lad in ancient Egypt in search
2. could, should, plough, month, body

198
 of work so that his mother and sisters do not
have to starve. He has learnt in school how to
use an abacus.
b. Lalda was in control of a spaceship CMf-22
which had the most powerful and reliable
computer known in the universe.
c. The lines of green lights across the top of the
instrument panel assured Lalda that the ship
was on the right path and everything was fine.
It was on auto-pilot and she really didnÊt have
to do a thing by herself.
d. There were six screens for the six scanners round
the spaceship. But surprisingly the fifth scanner
showed the glow of the sun getting increasingly
stronger and even the spaceshipÊs surrounding
temperature had increased from the first time
she had checked it. That meant the ship was
moving towards the sun, absolutely opposite
to the course it was supposed to take.
e. Philip slowly arranged the beads as per the
digits in units, tens and hundreds place and
managed to do the addition, and the subtraction
even though there were not sufficient beads in
the rows. He was very tense while doing the
sums, unsure about the process, so one can say
that he did not find the sums very easy.
f. Both Philip and Lalda trusted human intuition
and intelligence over mechanical perfection and
were thus able to detect errors in their machines.
g. There are several clues that tell us that Philip
lives in an ancient time. He uses an abacus; a
gang of slaves is working on the site; Cimon
consults a scroll; a temple for Apollo is being
built; Cimon tells the foreman that an Athenian
was saying that the sun consists of burning
material and the moon reflects the light of the
sun, however they are not proven facts yet, and
the foreman finds them to be weird ideas, etc.
h. There are several clues that tell us that Lalda
lives in more modern times. She is in a spaceship
that relies on a high-technology twenty-second
generation computer for guidance. There are
scanners around the spaceship; she can measure
the temperature outside without landing; the
spaceship can function on auto-pilot, with her
not having to do anything.
i. Philip was not able to do the last subtraction
sum on the abacus properly because he had less
than the total beads required for the process. He
later found two broken halves of the bead near
his feet.
j. Philip and Lalda are both similar and different.
They are similar in their faith on their machines.
But they are also quick to doubt the machine-
made calculations when they do not tally with
their instincts. They are different in the fact
that PhilipÊs work is on the abacus, an ancient
calculating device, to gain a job to feed his
starving mother and sisters, whereas LaldaÊs life
could be in danger if she is not able to navigate
the spaceship back to earth.
2. a. auto-pilot: a control in the steering of a ship,
aircraft or spacecraft that can be set to keep it
on a steady course
b. navigate: to find a way through a place, or direct
the course of something (a ship or spacecraft)
c. override: ignore the decision of the auto-pilot and
take manual control
d. the hundreds row: in the decimal system we have
columns for where numerals are written, e.g., in
the number 9632; 2 is in the unitsÊ column, 3 is in
the tensÊ column, 6 is in the hundredsÊ column,
and 9 is in the thousandsÊ column. An abacus
works in the same way, but beads are used in
rows.
3. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. i. Cimon was an architect who was working
on the plans of building a temple.
ii. The other person was the foreman who was
overseeing the construction of the building.
iii. The building plans for the temple was on the
scroll.
iv. The men were walking towards the building
site.
v. The men were discussing the temple which
they were building for Apollo. They then
went on to talk about a man in Athens who
had said that the sun is a mass of flaming
material and that the moonÊs light is a
reflection of the sun, words that are proven
facts today.
b. i. Lalda is speaking to herself.
ii. Briel was LaldaÊs trainer. She had died 28
days earlier.
iii. Briel would have been horrified about the
199
 fact that Lalda was thinking of not doing
the customary checks.
iv. After this statement was made, Lalda
got off the bunk and turned on the scanner
screens one by one. She took a reading of
the shipÊs surrounding temperature and
then returned to her bunk to try and sleep.
c.
i. In the statement, she refers to Lalda.
ii. She had learnt that loose liquids were
absolutely prohibited in the control room,
during Flight Training.
iii. ÂItÊ was an important thing to remember
because any liquid that might get spilled
onto the electrical computer equipment
would damage it, leading to crisis
situations.
Working with Words
Think of suitable adjectives to use with these nouns.
(Answers can vary.)
1. advanced, sophisticated, powerful, reliable computer
2. scanner, green, curved, bright screens
3. ancient, papyrus scroll
4. tiny, high-pitched, human, comforting voice
5. low, deep, shrill, piping tone
6. novel, weird, imaginative, ridiculous ideas
Learning about Language
Indirect Object
Find the direct and indirect objects in the sentences.
1. Verb ă gave; Direct Object ă a biscuit; Indirect Objectă
the dog
2. Verb ă told; Direct Object ă a story; Indirect Objectă
us
3. Verb ă sent; Direct Object ă a calendar; Indirect
Objectă me
4. Verb ă showed; Direct Object ă the presents; Indirect
Object ă her son
5. Verb ă built; Direct Object ă a building; Indirect
Object ă Bill
6. Verbs ă left, gave; Direct Object ă a clock, the school;
Indirect Object ă him
7. Verb ă bring; Direct Object ă a bunch of roses; Indirect
Object ă me
200
Adverbs
a. Pick out the adverbs in the following sentences
and say whether the adverb tells us where, when
or how the action of the verb takes place.
i. carefully (It tells us how he looked)
ii. tomorrow (It tells us when)
iii. here and there (It tells us where)
iv. just (It tells us when)
v. slowly (It tells us how)
b. Add interesting adverbs to the following.
(Answers can vary.)
i. cough noisily/raucously/discreetly
ii. creep silently/stealthily/surreptitiously/sneakily
iii. leave immediately/abruptly/unwillingly
iv. stands easily/uneasily/upright/proudly
v. balance carefully/acrobatically/precariously
vi. imitate perfectly/expertly/realistically
vii.punish severely/unreasonably/harshly/lightly
viii.whisper quietly/secretively/conspiratorially
Listening and Speaking
1. All’s well that ends well - If the final result is good,
the previous difficulties and failures are forgotten.
What happens in the end is most important.
Example: His lawyer persuaded Jack to plead
guilty, but the court merely put him on probation.
AllÊs well that ends well.
2. Beauty is only skin deep - The inner qualities, not
the outward appearance, show the true nature of a
person. Example: She keeps dressing up in order to
impress her new friends; she needs to understand
that beauty is only skin deep.
3. Every dog has its day - Every person will have
success or good fortune some time. Example: He
has to strive through these rough tides and keep
his morale high. After all, every dog has its day,
and his too will come soon.
4. A new broom sweeps clean - A new person doing a
job makes a lot of changes and does the job well.
Example: To save the company from the brink
of collapse, major changes were made in the
directorial board. Younger, more dynamic people
were brought in, going by the fact that a new broom
sweeps clean.
5. It’s easy to be wise after the event - It is easy to say what
should have been done to avoid failure after the
failure has happened. Example: Now that the deal
 has fallen through, his team members are telling
him about the ÂDoÊs and the ÂDonÊtÊs constantly.
They need to be in his shoes for once and realize
that itÊs easy to be wise after the event.
6. First come, first served - The person who finishes
something, or arrives somewhere first, usually has
the best chance of success. Example: The sale on
apparels was an Âearly birdÊ one· first come, first
served.
Composition
(Answers can vary.)
Philip: Ready to take on new challenges, nervous,
sincerely wants to do something for the family, best
student at school before he had to drop out, manages
the addition intelligently although there are not
enough beads in the tens row; subtraction a test of
the intelligence of the human brain; he is suspicious
of the answer provided by the abacus and ultimately
discovers two broken beads on the ground showing
that his suspicion was not incorrect.
Lalda: Ready to take on challenges, longs for human
company in spaceship so much so that tears come out
of her eyes in memory of her late trainer, intelligent
to notice difference in machine readings and her logic
which tells her that they are moving towards the sun
and not earth, strong enough to have more faith in
her own instincts like Philip, daring in her decision to
navigate the spaceship herself (this is something not
noticed in Philip).
Lalda is cleverer than Philip.
In the Bazaars of Hyderabad
Comprehension
1. a. Brocade is a fabric with a woven raised pattern;
an Indian cloth of gold and silver threads woven
together.
b. Amber is a yellow translucent fossil. Jade is a
hard green, blue or white stone.
c. Henna is a plant, whose shoots and leaves are
powdered and used as a dye for the skin and
hair.
d. Bells are made for blue pigeons to alert
their owners of their whereabouts and their
homecoming after their flying trips.
e. Girdles are belts or cords to tie around the waist.
Scabbards are sheaths for daggers.
f. Eight colours are mentioned in the poem:
crimson, silver, purple, saffron, blue, azure, red,
white.
g. A sarangi is a stringed Indian musical instrument
played with a bow. A cithar or sitar is another
stringed Indian musical instrument played by
hand.
h. Aeons means countless ages, eternity.
i. A chaplet is a wreath of flowers, beads, gold or
gems worn round the head.
j. The colourful and rich stalls of the marketplace
of Hyderabad were so varied and fulfilling that
the poet was enthused to write this poem. The
bazaar appealed to her eyes in its colourful
variety; her sense of taste through the spices the
shopkeepers were selling; her sense of beauty
in the ornaments made by the goldsmith, her
ears in the varied calls made by the fruit-sellers,
and the musicians who were playing different
instruments, as well as the magicians who were
chanting spells; and the sense of smell in the
fragrances coming from the rows and clusters
of flowers.
k. The poet does bring out the hustle and bustle of
an ancient local bazaar brilliantly, but she leaves
out dresses, a major part of modern bazaars.
Also, she does not talk about other visitors to
the marketplace which would have made her
poem complete.
Working with Words
1. Can you find any names for other professions in
the poem?
merchant, vendor, peddler, goldsmith, dancer, king,
fruit-sellers, musician, the magician, flower-girl.
Except for the king and the magician all the others are
selling their wares. The magician is selling his skill.
King and bridegroom are the few consumers mentioned.
2. poacher·poaches; captures animals unlawfully
on someone elseÊs property
magistrate·a civil officer who administers law
philanthropist·a rich person who helps the poor
and those in need, especially by giving money
biographer·a person who writes about the lives
of others
dramatist·a person who writes plays
martyr·one who undergoes death or suffering for
any great cause
201
 bursar·a person who looks after the money
matters of a college or school
traitor·one who acts disloyally to his country, king
or himself
escapologist·a performer who escapes from
ropes, chains, boxes etc.
philatelist·a person who collects stamps
caterer·a person who provides food for others
tinker·a person who mends pots and pans
3.
a. squeaked b. yelled c. moaned d. thundered
e. roared f. wailed g. bellowed h. cried
i. screamed j. whooped
Learning about Language
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Pick out the verbs. Say whether they are transitive or
intransitive. If the verb is transitive, name the object.
1. constructed·transitive; object·bridge
2. ran·intransitive
3. pull·transitive; object·the rope
4. played·intransitive
5. put·transitive; object·packet
6. ran·intransitive
7. writes·transitive; object·poetry
8. writes·intransitive
Adverbs
Find interesting adverbs to go with these verbs. Use
them in sentences of your own.
(Answers can vary.)
1. display elaborately, temporarily, outside, attractively
2. weigh accurately, frequently, now
3. grind thoroughly, daily, finely
4. make perfectly, expertly, shoddily
5. cry loudly, sadly, mournfully, insincerely
6. chant tunefully, peacefully, intermittently
1. The pedlars had displayed their goods elaborately on
the table.
2. The greengrocer weighed the vegetables accurately.
3. My mother instructed me to grind the grain finely.
4. Sheela has learnt to make sweets expertly.
5. The baby cried loudly in order to attract the attention
of his mother.
6. The priest chanted the mantras tunefully.
202
Listening and Speaking
sight whole benign design
knob dumb light psalm
knife thumb limb gnat
through should bomb knave
n: autumn, hymn, column
g: gnome, foreign/er, gnarl, sign, resign, deign, reign
u: guest, tongue, rogue, biscuit, guilty, guitar,
building, guess
h: what, why, when, whether, ghost, hour, while,
rhyme, rhythm
t: scratch, butcher, Christmas, listen, soften, often,
witch, castle, watch
k: know, knitting, knock, knack, knickers, knee, knob,
knife, knight
d: Wednesday, hedge, handkerchief, badge, edge,
handsome
l: almond, palm, calm, salmon, calf, yolk, walk, folk,
half, chalk
b: lamb, tomb, debt, comb, doubt, climb, crumb,
thumb, bomb, limb
w: wrote, wren, sword, wrinkle, wrestling, wriggle,
whole, wrong, wrist, two, wrap
Composition
Write a short speech about your local bazaar or
shopping mall. In your speech say what there is in
the bazaar currently and outline some proposals to
make it even better.
Malls are convenient places to shop. There is a huge
shopping mall in my locality too. It provides shoppers
with abundant and secure parking areas. Parking
is one of the major hassles for people who shop.
Shopping at malls eliminates this problem, because
shopping malls incorporate vast parking areas into
their design and construction. Families who choose to
visit the mall on the weekend or holiday for a family
outing find it to be a more convenient option mainly
because parking is provided. Groceries, clothes,
footwear, reading material, food courts, cinemas and
entertainment arcades are all available under one
roof. It is possible to spend an entire day out at the
mall, shopping, eating, watching a movie or playing
games. It is a great meeting place for friends to catch
up over coffee at a café or a meal at the food court. The
mall even offers concerts and other events, especially
during the holiday seasons. Moreover, shopping is
comfortable as the mall is fully air-conditioned.
Despite all these comforts, there are some discrepancies
and the mall can be made a better place to provide
a more relaxed shopping experience. During the
weekends there are huge crowds at the supermarket
in the mall. Though there are nearly twenty-five billing
counters, only ten or twelve of them operate which
lead to long queues, ultimately annoying people who
wait to get their items billed. It is obligatory that all the
twenty-five billing counters work during weekends to
ensure swift billing during increased customer footfall.
Another great disadvantage of the mall which adds to
the woes of the customers is that no seating facilities
are offered on any of the floors. People have to visit
the food court even to rest a while. Senior citizens
who visit the malls look desperately around to relax
themselves but in vain. It would be very beneficial if
seating arrangements are provided on each floor. If
these improvements are made, shopping at the mall
would indeed become a very pleasant experience.
8. In a Tunnel
Comprehension
1. a. The carriage windows are pulled up when the
train goes through a tunnel to prevent the smoke
from the engine to come into the carriage.
(Also, since it was a steam train, the window
frames of the old carriages were pulled up and
hooked with a short leather strap.)
b. When you are on foot in a tunnel, one can see
slimy, oozy trickles of water dripping down the
walls. The bricks are a dull, sticky, sickly green.
The light from outside shines in for quite a long
way before it becomes considerably dark.
c. There are three children in the tunnel.
d. Phyllis is the most frightened.
e. That was a low humming sound on the railway
line, signifying that a train was approaching the
tunnel.
f. The wires over which Phyllis stumbles on the
way to the manhole are those which connect the
points or signals to the control cabin.
g. According to the author, the train hurtled by, with
a rush, a roar and a rattle, and a long dazzling
flash of lighted carriage windows, a smell of
smoke and a blast of hot air. All the while, there
was the constant clanging, jangling and echoing
noise in the vaulted roof of the tunnel.
h. Phyllis compares the train to a dragon because it
roars and puffs out smoke and fire like a dragon
does. Also, the approaching trainÊs lights look
like eyes glowing in the dark, belonging to a
fearsome creature like the dragon. It is a good
comparison.
i. Electrical trains run faster and are cheaper
to operate. They emit no sound, and are
weatherproof, without the dirt and heat of
steam engines. Steam engines require large
quantities of coal and water. To a certain extent,
the modern trains, with so many amenities, do
seem less romantic to travel on, when compared
to the old-world charm of the steam trains.
2. a. the dip and catch of the telegraph wires: the wire
between two telegraph poles sags and then
catches at the top of the pole. From a moving
train the wires seem to dip and rise.
b. straight-cut hawthorn hedges: the hawthorn
hedges have been clipped and trimmed to keep
them neat and tidy.
c. sickly green: a green which is very pale, like the
skin-colour of a sick person.
d. half a yard of gathers: the gathered material of a
skirt where it meets the waistband. (Especially
common in old-fashioned skirts.)
e. a silly cuckoo: a mild term of ridicule.
f. manhole: a cavity or recess in the wall where
workmen can take shelter as trains go by. (There
are also manholes on streets; these are cavities
underground for sewers, etc. and the top is
covered by a manhole cover.)
Working with Words
1. Suggest words (from the story) for the following
meanings.
a. roar b. silence c. gradually d. dazzling
e. ripping f. coward g. buzzing h. advancing
i. dragged j. stumbled over k. clung l. slimy
2. The list of words: rush, echoing, roar, rattle, whiz,
clanging, jangling
3. Can you add any other words for sounds to those
above?
(Answers can vary.)
bang, bark, bawl, bay, bellow, bleat, boo, bray, buzz,
203
 cackle, call, caterwaul, caw, cheep, cluck, coo, crash,
crow, crunch, cry, gobble, groan, growl, grunt, hiss,
holler, honk, howl, lament, mewl, moan, moo,
neigh, peep, pipe, roar, rumble, scream, screech,
shout, shriek, snore, squawk, squeak, squeal, tinkle,
titter, trill, tweet, ululate, utter, wail, whimper,
whine, whinny, whir, whoop, woof, yell, yodel
4. Complete the following in your own words.
a. ... of water.
b. ... inside the tunnel if one walks in.
c. ... rattle up and down.
d. ... dark.
e. ... roar the train moved through the tunnel.
5. Find as many meanings as you can for each of the
following words.
a. wing - a limb of a bird, (n); supporting part of
an aeroplane, (n); to wound someone slightly
on the arm. (v); addition to a building, (n); in
football or hockey, a person who is to the side
of the centre, (n); two or more squadrons of
aeroplanes, (n); pilotÊs badge, (n)
b. sight - faculty of vision, (n); being seen, (n);
space within which object or person can be
seen, (n); show, spectacle, (n); take observation
of something with an instrument, (v); something
worth seeing, (n)
c. pound - a measure of weight, 2.2 pounds equals
1 kg. (n); enclosure for stray animals, (n); crush
as with a pestle, (v); walk or run heavily, (v);
beat with fists, (v)
d. foot - end part of leg beginning at the ankle, (n);
step, pace, tread, (n); infantry soldiers, (n); lower
end of bed, (n); metrical unit, (n); lower usually,
projecting part of something, (n)
e. match - person equal to another in some quality,
(n); contest of skill, (n); matrimonial alliance, (n);
short piece of wood tipped with combustible
material, (n); to pair one thing with its equal, (v)
f. race - to compete in speed with (v); group of
persons or animals connected by common
descent, (n); root of ginger, (n); onward
movement, especially water, (n)

Learning about Language

All about Tense
verb: to write Past Present Future
Simple He wrote. He writes. He will write.
Continuous He was writing. He is writing. He will be writing.
Perfect He had written. He has written. He will have written.
verb: to read Past Present Future
Simple He read. He reads. He will read.
Continuous He was reading. He is reading. He will be reading.
Perfect He had read. He has read. He will have read.
verb: to talk Past Present Future
Simple He talked. He talks. He will talk.
Continuous He was talking. He is talking. He will be talking.
Perfect He had talked. He has talked. He will have talked.

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Composition ii) Now in the gathering twilight…
iii) The forest was bathed in a deep red glow from the
A Journey by Bus
setting sun.
(Answers can vary.)
iv) The first of the large fruit bats flapped past the
A journey by bus is definitely not a pleasant
waiting men.
experience, being boring and dull. We need to remain
d. Reverend Singh made notes while watching the
stationary once we occupy a seat. The journey becomes
wolf-children, so we know that he kept a diary
unbearable due to heat in summer and cold in winter.
of some sort.
I dislike bus journeys but I could not avoid this one,
e. Reverend Singh knew that the children had been
as the entire family was going on a summer vacation
living with the wolves for a long time because
to Ooty. I somehow managed to get a window seat.
both ran on all fours using their hands and feet.
The journey was not wearisome as the scenes on the
From the way the children moved they were
road were eye catching, and the weather was quite
more like wolf cubs rather than normal children.
pleasant. We had packed some sandwiches and fruits
f. The villagers refused to help because being
for breakfast which we ate in the moving bus.
superstitious, they believed that the creatures
My father started reading the newspaper and mother
living in the ant-hill were evil spirits and not
was engrossed in a magazine. My brother and my
children who had somehow managed to live
cousins were playing some game among themselves.
among the wolves.
The lush green fields and the farmers ploughing
g. The hunting party beat the ground in front of
with their cattle was a sight uncommon in cities. We
them to frighten the wolves into coming out of
stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant and the food
their lair.
served was hot and delicious. It was different from
h. Reverend Singh felt bitter and angry with
what we usually eat at home. The wind was pleasant
himself because the she-wolf had been killed
and cool. The rocking bus cradled me to sleep. I was
by the hunting party and he had not been able
woken up by my mother and to my surprise we had
to protect her. He had just wanted to rescue
reached Ooty. We refreshed ourselves with hot tea
the two wolf-children, and not harm any of the
and looked out for a taxi to reach the hotel. This bus
wolves in the process.
journey was quite different from the usual dull and
i. Sunset was time for the demons to appear.
boring ones, and hence, will always remain vivid in
They had heard their howls and their strange yelping
my memory.
cries.
Suddenly there was a movement in the narrow
entrance of the ant-hill.
9. The Wolf Children—I Then something else emerged. It was a demon, just
Comprehension as the villagers had said, half human and half animal.
The demon was followed by a second monster,
1. a. One of the men licked his lips because he was
much smaller than the first. Both of the creatures
nervous and his lips were dry with fright.
had matted hair, which covered their faces, and both
b. The author says that demons lived in the ant-hill,
walked on all fours.
which had been long abandoned by ants, and
All the above lines create a sense of suspense as
was now a hollow shell like a cave. Inside it lived
they talk about demons who are half human and
some wolves, and two other creatures, half-
half animal. The sounds and the strange yelping
human, half-animal, fearsome in appearance.
cries add to the suspense.
Everyone in the village of Godamuri knew
2. Explain the italicized words and phrases in your
about them, several people had actually seen
own words.
them and to their superstitious minds, they
(Answers can vary.)
appeared no less than demons.
a. They concentrated on this aspect: focussed is a
c. i) The platform had been built during the heat of
word generally used with cameras and taking
the day.

205
 photographs. When something is in focus, it is
clear and detailed.
b. bathed has a metaphoric use. We generally bathe
in water; here the whole forest is flooded with
the light from the setting sun. This is a good
word to use in this context, and we get a clear
picture of how it was like in the forest.
c. stiffened: became apprehensive, showing they
were scared, ready, alert, and uncomfortable!
d. tales and chatter: stories and gossip, mutterings,
rumours, half-truths, that are part and parcel of
a community or society.
e. bared her teeth: showed, revealed all her teeth
by pulling back her lips (like an angry animal
while warning an enemy).
3. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. Reverend Singh signalled to the two men who
had accompanied him to see for themselves the
reality about the wolf-children.
b. The Reverend signalled to his two companions
not to shoot as they had aimed their rifles at the
strange creatures coming out of the lair.
c. Just before this, the entire wolf-family consisting
of the two wolves, their two small cubs and the
two strange creatures had come out of the ant-
hill.
d. After signalling towards his companions, the
Reverend started to write about the scene
unfolding before him in his notebook.
Working with Words
1. April, Assistant, Avenue, Brothers; February, July,
Monday, Professor;
Diploma, University, dozen, miscellaneous;
certificate, Saturday, December, Society
2. Use the following words in sentences of your
own.
(Answers can vary.)
a. The hunting party followed the elephants
cautiously.
b. Sheetal gave her first speech nervously.
c. The two little creatures were actually kittens.
d. Rahul waded through the water courageously
and saved the child.
e. The lioness pounced furiously on the hunter.
3. They are all adverbs.
Learning about Language
Verbs
1. Use the following verbs transitively and
intransitively in sentences of your own.
(Answers will vary.)
a. The prince rides his favourite horse everyday.
(transitive)
He rides everyday. (intransitive)
b. The angry bull charged at the young man.
(transitive)
The bull charged angrily. (intransitive)
c. He rested his arm on his friendÊs shoulder.
(transitive)
He rested peacefully. (intransitive)
d. The boys played cricket. (transitive)
The boys played. (intransitive)
e. Balu is stopping the car. (transitive)
Balu is stopping near the huge tree. (intransitive)
Nouns
Supply suitable nouns which can be described by
these adjectives.
a. a humid afternoon
b. a powerful wrestler
c. an excessive amount
d. an ancient city
e. a defective machine
f. a mature person
g. an adhesive material
h. an obsolete ritual
i. a spectacular display
Pronouns
a. Use a relative pronoun to combine these
sentences.
i. The bus took the children to the cinema, which
was in the town.
ii. These are the happy boys whose paintings were
displayed in the exhibition.
iii. This is Anil who is a good pianist.
iv. We went to see the patient who had malaria.
v. Give me the knife which I bought yesterday.
vi. Priya is the girl whom I spoke to you about.
b. Put suitable relative pronouns in the blank spaces
below.
i. who ii. which iii. whose iv. which v. whom

206
Listening and Speaking
1. b silent in comb, tomb, thumb, succumb
g silent in reign, thigh, sigh, resign
k silent in known, knife, knob, knock, knowledge
2. a. In absolute good health
b. A small difficulty especially in the final detailing
c. To feel excited and absolutely self-confident
d. Inability to move out of fear or surprise
Composition
Do you know how the little children came to be in
the wolves’ lair? Write a paragraph or two about what
you think might have happened.
The children must have been abandoned by their
parents for some unknown reason. It is even possible
that their parents were attacked and killed by some
wild animals. One of them was about eight years old
and the other five years. They may have been sisters
though there was no evidence to prove it. They must
have been lost about three or four years back as they
had gotten used to the life of the wolves during this
time. They walked like wolves on all fours, ate and
drank like them. They did not seem to remember
anything of their human parents nor did they have
any human qualities or behaviour. The wolves must
have noticed them in the jungle. Seeing that there was
no human being around, they would have brought
them to the lair. Of course, it is surprising that the
wolves did not kill them. They raised them, fed them
and trained them to eat raw meat like their own cubs.
Except for their appearance, everything else they did
was similar to the wolves.
10. The Wolf Children—II
Comprehension
1. a. Yes, Mrs Singh was surprised by the children.
We know this fact as the text mentions that she
could hardly believe her eyes as she watched the
wolf-children.
b. The two children moved about on all fours like
the wolves they used to live with. When they
wanted to go a short way, they moved on their
knees and elbows, but if they wanted to run they
used their feet and hands.
c. Wolves drink liquids by lapping up with their
tongues, and this was what the children had
learnt. So they too lapped up milk with their
tongues.
d. There were many ways in which the children
behaved like animals. They used their knees
and elbows to move short distances; they
used their hands and feet when running; they
lapped up milk from a dish; they howled and
did not like being bathed; they crouched in the
shade or stood motionless with their faces to
the wall ignoring the games and laughter of
other children; they became active at night and
tried to escape and hurled themselves against
the wall in an attempt to do so; they fed like
wild animals, taking raw meat and liquids in a
crouching position; they chewed toys given to
them like bones; they treated the other children
like wolf-cubs.
e. The Singhs decided to keep the discovery
of the wolf-girls a secret. They did not want
people coming to see them out of curiosity and
disturbing their pace of adjusting themselves
with human beings.
f. Wolves are active at night and sleepy during the
day, and the girls were used to following this
pattern of behaviour, living with the wolves for
a long time. So they too became active only at
night.
g. When Amala died, Kamala missed her greatly.
She howled for many days and refused to eat.
All she would do was sniff around for AmalaÊs
scent.
h. It took Kamala nearly nine years to learn about
fifty words.
i. Mrs Singh had to leave the orphanage because
her aunt was ill and needed to be looked after.
j. The important thing that Kamala learnt was
how to love a human being.
k. The story seems to be true as the year and exact
date of the demise of the two children are given.
Moreover, the account of the transformation of
the girls also sounds quite real.
l. The Singhs were mature, courageous, thoughtful
and loving. Moreover, they did not believe in
superstitions. They were mature enough not to
believe in the tale of the jungle demons. They
were courageous and did not get scared of the
207
 children. They were very thoughtful and took
care of them, showering their love on them.
2. a. believe her eyes b. discovery c. spread
d. preferred e. behave f. upright
g. her old ways h. writing up
3. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. The fact that the discovery of the two girls
should be kept a secret was best for the girls.
If it was not kept a secret·the Singhs tried but
did not succeed·then the news would spread
and curious people would arrive in droves to
have a look, undermining any good work the
Singhs were trying to do in order to educate and
civilize the girls.
b. i. This difficulty lay in the effort to free the
girls from their strong belief that they were
wolves. The Singhs had to somehow get it
across to them that they were humans.
ii. Mrs Singh deliberately played with the other
children in front of Amala and Kamala; she
gave them toys to play with; tried to educate
them (after nine years Kamala was able to
learn about fifty words); and then, after
Amala died, Mrs Singh with her patience
and kindness, persevered with Kamala who
started eating cooked meat, singing to plants
when nobody was around, standing upright
as a result of the massage done to her thin
legs every day, finally beginning to trust the
Singhs and feel happy in their company.
c. i. One little orphan boy staying in the same
orphanage with Amala and Kamala was
attacked.
ii. He tried to make friends with the wolf-girls,
and was attacked as a result.
iii. The wolf-girls treated him like another wolf-
cub, and attacked him playfully.
Working with Words
1. Look in your dictionary and find the correct
meaning of the following words.
orphanage·institution which cares for children
with no parents
miracle·an act or event that does not follow the
laws of nature and is believed to be caused by God
208
echo·the reflecting of sound off a wall or inside
a confined space so that a noise appears to be
repeated
lap (v.)·to drink something with quick movements
of the tongue
deliberate·done on purpose, rather than by
accident
progress·movement forwards or towards a place
setback·a difficulty or problem that delays or
prevents something, or makes a situation worse
respond·to do something as a reaction to something
that somebody has said or done
faltering·to speak in a way that shows that you
are not confident
mourn·feel sorrow or regret for the dead
2. Use the words in sentences of your own.
(Answers can vary.)
The orphanage is run by a religious institution.
It was a miracle that the girl who was fiercely
attacked by the lion survived.
There was an echo on the phone and I couldnÊt hear
clearly.
Our pet cat lapped up the milk in the saucer and
looked up for more.
Fatima deliberately avoided talking to her friend.
She watched his slow progress down the steep slope.
The team suffered a major setback when their best
player was injured.
The puppy responded well to the affection showered
by the little children.
Lily spoke to the judge in a faltering voice.
The company mourned the loss of one of its most
experienced workers.
3. 1. cafe 2. locksmith 3. hospital 4. decagon
5. kindergarten 7. harbour 9. emporium
6. anthropoid ă very similar to a human
8. transform ă change or alter
4. Give the opposites of the following words.
Verbs - a. to fail b. to help c. to support
d. to decrease
Nouns - a. professional b. departure c. safety
d. truth e. poverty
Adjectives - a. rare b. positive c. hardy
d. fresh e. wild
Adverbs - a. nowhere b. slow c. infrequently
d. late e. never
Learning about Language
Verbs: Active and Passive
a. Pick out the verbs in the following and say
whether they are in the active or the passive voice.
i. looked·active
ii. ate·active; were locked·passive
iii. was given·passive
iv. acted·active
v. boiled·active
vi. arrived·active; was being cleaned·passive
vii.filled·active
b. Change the following from the active to the
passive voice.
i. The children were scolded by the teacher.
ii. The troops were ordered to retreat by the
general.
iii. The musicians were asked to play by me.
iv. Mt Everest was conquered by Sir Edmund
Hillary, the mountaineer.
v. The world speed record was broken by Kartik
with his new racing car.
vi. The rubbish was thrown over the garden wall
by the cleaners.
vii.Thousands of people were helped by Dr KhanÊs
invention.
Listening and Speaking
Do you keep a diary? If you do, tell the others in class
what kinds of things you write about. If you don’t
keep a diary, tell the others what kinds of things you
would like to write about.
(Answers can vary.)
I use my diary as an emotional outlet, the sort of
things I write about might be funny things that have
happened to me, things that have upset me, ideas for
stories, poetry, etc. My diary is like just transferring
my thoughts onto paper, so I write personal things
I would never tell anyone, all my problems·
and I donÊt just write about what I did that day.
I also write down important notes like appointments,
a to-do list, important phone numbers or addresses.
In my diary, I also write small passages from novels
and books which I liked just in case I forget about
them later.
Composition
Imagine that you are the Reverend Singh. It is the
day you set out to find the demons. Write about the
day, from the time you wake up to the time you go
to bed.
(Answers can vary.)
Sunday
October 9, 1920
7 am
I feel today is the most important day in my life. I
am determined to prove to the people that their story
about the demons is just utter nonsense.
1 pm
The people of Godamuri are superstitious, and they
fear to venture into the forest. They are afraid that the
demons might attack or kill them. I am just waiting
to have a look at them at sunset and decide the next
course of action.
6.45 pm
My god! What a pathetic sight! They are humans! May
be children aged four or five. Their hands, feet and
bodies prove that they are humans but what about
the head? Why does it look like a big ball? Oh! They
wouldnÊt have combed or cut their hair for years
together. Now, I understand. They must have been
living with the wolves for a very long time. But how is
it possible? What happened to their parents? Are they
sisters? Why didnÊt the wolves kill them? Do animals
show mercy? Well, I really donÊt know the answers to
these questions.
10.00 pm
I have no doubt about what I should do. I ought to
rescue the children. I just canÊt allow them to live as
wild animals anymore. I will bring them up as human
beings. It may be very difficult to make the children
understand that they are humans, but I am resolute in
my decision. I will rescue them at any cost.
Jim
Comprehension
1. a. JimÊs friends were good to him as they gave him
tea, cakes, jam, slices of delicious ham, chocolate
with pink fillings, and little tricycles to ride.
They also read him stories and took him to the
zoo.
209
 b. JimÊs fault was that he used to run away from
his nurse whenever he could.
c. The day was inauspicious because it was the day
Jim slipped away from his nurse and got into
serious trouble.
d. When the lion began to eat him, Jim did not like
the feeling at all and shouted, ÂHi!Ê.
e. The honest keeper came to help Jim. With an
angry frown, he cried out to the lion that was
named Ponto, to let the boy go.
f. The lion did listen to the keeper. He stopped,
and let the tasty morsel drop, and slunk back
into his cage.
g. T he l i on wa s s n a rl i n g wi t h r a ge a n d
disappointment because the keeper had asked
him to put down his food, the little boy Jim,
whom he was devouring with great pleasure.
h. JimÊs mother reacted to the sad news by crying
and then accepting his fate as not being a
surprise to her, since he had not done as he
was told. JimÊs father made an example of JimÊs
miserable end to warn other children how they
should never let go off their nurseÊs hand for
fear that something worse might await them.
This kind of behaviour is not very normal from
parents who have lost their child, but the poet
aims to focus on the moral of the poem. He
wants to keep the grief and the dramatic parts
low so that the seriousness of the situation is
understood by the children.
i. The moral or message in the poem is that
children should keep hold of their nurseÊs hand
when they go out, for fear that something bad
might happen if they donÊt. The poet gets this
message across to the readers by making Jim a
victim of tragic circumstances.
Understanding Poetry
a. Underline the stressed syllables in the following
words.
colour honest never admit about awake
instant control avoid human people insect
complete below table
b. Divide the following words into syllables and
mark the syllable that is stressed.
dis-play-ed, sand-al-wood, ma-gic-ians,
peace-ful-ly, un-time-ly, hor-ri-ble, max-i-mum,
pos-sib-le, dis-tress, dis-tress-ing
210
c. short medial vowel sound: bread tread stead
read lead dead ready wealth health
meant deaf death spread
long medial vowel sound: bead read lead bean
mean cream team beam lean dream
d. These can be in both the groups, depending on the
context and meaning: read; lead
Working with Words
Singular and Plural Nouns
a. Write down the plurals of the following nouns.
views, nieces, receipts, jokes, bridges, widths
asses, flashes, taxes, gases
keys, directories, families, fairies, storeys, duties,
companies
zoos, potatoes, cargoes
cliffs, beliefs, shelves
mice
b. Find out the plural forms of the following.
spoonfuls, cupfuls, formulae (formulas),
apparatuses, crises, bases, brothers-in-law,
sisters-in-law, mesdames, messieurs
Learning about Language
Auxiliary Verbs
Pick out the auxiliary verbs in the following.
1. is 2. are 3. will be 4. have 5. was, were
6. have 7. will have been
Listening and Speaking
Dainty Morsel
a. Which words would you associate with these?
(Answers can vary.)
danger zone, signal, alert, money
solar panel, heat, power, energy, physics, heating,
rays
polar region, expedition, bear, molecule, exploration
rain forest, shower, cloud, dance
Composition
Write a short poem or story about what happened
to someone who did not listen to good advice, or
someone who did not follow the rules. You may
make your piece of writing humorous.
(Answers can vary.)
Tom
Tom was a disobedient child,
Who always said, ÂIÊll have my way.Ê
He did not like to be chided
Even though he was mischievous and went astray.
On a Monday he strode,
Off a busy and noisy road,
He adamantly said, ÂIÊll have my way.Ê
And didnÊt know he had to pay.
The vehicles went helter-skelter,
Puzzled Tom ran for shelter,
He tripped and fell,
And let out a yell.
But now Tom never says,
ÂIÊll have my way!Ê
Because he has had his day,
And would never go astray.
11. Snakes on the Loose
Comprehension
1. a. One can search newspapers or the internet to
find out what happened on the day they were
born.
b. M S Subbulakshmi, the great Indian singer was
born on 16 September 1916 and opera singer
Maria Callas died on that very day in 1977.
c. Wall Street is the New York financial centre and
it is usually the term used to refer to the US
money market. A bomb blast killed 38 people
there in 1920.
d. Several tragic events occurred on September 16
during the years listed. Chronologically, these
are:
In 1920, the Wall Street bomb blast killed 38
people.
In 1951, a stunt plane crashed in the US killing
19 people.
In 1978, an earthquake killed 26,000 people in
Iran.
In 1986, a major fire in a gold mine in South
Africa killed 175 miners.
In 2004, hurricane Ivan lashed the US Gulf
Coast, killing 45.
In 2007, a plane crash in Thailand caused 90
deaths.
e. The village of Shijiao is in southwest ChinaÊs
Chongqing municipality.
f. According to Report 1, the snakes were
transferred to a legal breeding lab in Guangxi
in southern China. Report 2 however says that
of the 160 escaped snakes, most were captured
or killed and only five or six remained on the
loose.
g. The snakes were being kept in an illegal
abandoned schoolhouse turned breeding lab
in Shijiao Township in the municipality of
Chongqing in southwestern China. A man
named Cai Yong was involved in the breeding
as it was a lucrative source of income for him.
h. A tourniquet is a tight bandage to temporarily
stop the flow of blood from any open wound. In
case of a snakebite, it prevents the venom from
spreading all over along with the blood flow.
i. Mr Yan is mentioned in Report 3 as a county
official who declared that no one was injured in
the snake-related mishap and the breeder and
team of snake professionals have since rounded
up all but five or six of the snakes that ran amok.
j. Report 4 ends in the way it does to make light
of the issue of cobras let loose. It makes fun of
our generic fears in trying to suggest that some
of the snakes could have been pregnant which
means their numbers have already multiplied.
k. Report 3 is the best (Answers can vary.). It gives
precise details as to where the incident happened,
the extent of injury caused, government action
taken, peopleÊs reaction and the kind of medical
treatment required in case of a snake bite. It
is lacking in only one thing which is dealt in
Report 4 as to why these illegal snake breeding
centres exist at all.
2. a. The breeder was given a break as in no fine was
imposed on him and no punishment ordered
for the chaos created. Though all the reports say
that the snakes escaped from an illegal breeding
laboratory, none report of any action taken by
the government to penalize the offender. The
snakes, the reports say, didnÊt cause much harm
and on the other hand, cost a lot of money to
raise, and so not giving any punishment seems
to be justified in this case.
211
 b. The snakes were found in outdoor toilets,
kitchens and streets.
c. Report 3 gives us quite a bit of information
about what to do in case of snakebite. It asks
people to stay calm as increased heart rate will
cause the venom to spread rapidly. The report
also suggests the use of a tourniquet and an
anti-venom shot as soon as possible, after the
mishap has occurred.
d. The statement in Report 3 means that the
villagers might seek revenge and punishment
for the breeders or capture and kill the snakes
themselves. It was a very serious situation
faced by the villagers with so many venomous
snakes running amok inside and outside their
houses, and this called for some punishment of
the offenders, which the government decided to
waiver.
e. Report 1 is factual and the short and simple
heading is a statement of that. Report 2 is
more dramatic and the heading highlights this
element in the two aspects of narration: i) the
escape of deadly cobras and ii) the presence of
illegal labs in China for such breeding. Report 3
is very constructive; makes the incident a matter
of past ă use of the term escaped gives the official
point of view, suggests governmentÊs role in
awareness building on how to avoid being
bitten and how to treat a wound if bitten. The
headline of Report 4 is again like Report 2·
very dramatic, rather, here it is more cinematic.
The only useful thing it reports is the reason for
the illegal breeding of these dangerous reptiles.
It also says something different from the other
three reports in the sense that most of the snakes
have been caught (same as Report 3) or killed,
ending the report on a note of hilarity.
f. Report 4 gives us a good idea as to why Cai
Yong took to illegal breeding of cobras at all. The
reasons could be: i) demand for meat ii) demand
for traditional medicines iii) an attractive source
of income.
3. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. i. A computer programmed by a Cambridge
scientist with 300 million facts about people,
places, business and events came up with the
answer.
212
ii. Which day since 1900 was the most boring, in
terms of events was the question posed by
a Cambridge scientist to the computer. In
other words, the computer was required to
find out on which day in history, nothing of
significance took place.
iii. The computer came up with the date, 12
April 1954, when nothing of any significance
happened. The answer was ironic because
the date became significant by virtue of its
insignificance.
b. i. The villagers made the suggestion.
ii. The suggestion was made to allay the fears
of the villagers.
iii. They might have been told how to avoid
being bitten by a snake and how to treat a
wound if bitten.
Working with Words
1. Use the following in sentences of your own.
(Answers can vary.)
The basic theme in some of ShakespeareÊs plays is
tragedy.
The police tried to allay the fears of the public by
giving them assurances.
The bully was terrorizing the smaller children.
Mahatma GandhiÊs last words, ÂHey Ram,Ê carry a
lot of significance.
Petroleum is a lucrative source of income for the
government.
The land was abandoned after being used for ages.
The police rounded up the smugglers late last night.
The victim identified the terrorist before dying.
The Principal convened a meeting of the teachers to
decide the course of action.
The illicit operations of the poachers have been
curbed once and for all.
Meanings:
rounded up: collected, gathered
terrorizing: to frighten and threaten people so that
they will not oppose something or will do as they
are told.
2. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
a. boosting b. tourniquet
c. catastrophe; decimated d. havoc
e. illicit; penalized f. breeding
3. p.m. = post meridian; Rev. = Reverend;
Sept. = September; CNN = Cable News Network;
PO = Post Office; AFP =Agence France Presse;
sq. = square; Tues. = Tuesday; Pres. = President;
Sci. = Science; PG = paying guest, per gallon;
TV = television; WBA = World Boxing Association;
SE = South East; SW = South West; VIP = Very
Important Person
Learning about Language
Prepositions
Pick out the prepositions in the following sentences
and say what nouns (or pronouns) they connect.
1. up - connects cat (n) and tree (n)
2. into - connects bus (n) and garage (n)
3. to - connects Ali and Rahim (n) and cinema (n)
4. under - connects thermometer (n) and patient’s
tongue (n)
5. between - connects train (n) and the two towns (n)
Adjectives and Prepositions
Complete the following sentences by filling in the
blanks with the correct prepositions.
1. to 2. by 3. of 4. about 5. by 6. of 7. of
8. to 9. with 10. from
Nouns
1. elephant, feet
2. rose, bush
3. bush, garden
4. water, tank
5. gardener, plants
6. tank, wall
Composition
You have heard on the radio that a poisonous snake
has escaped from the snake pit of the zoo near
your home. Write a letter to the Councillor of your
Municipal Corporation. Complain about the menace
of having poisonous reptiles in a residential area.
Request the Councillor to issue posters outlining
the dangers and informing residents about ways to
deal with a snakebite.
(Answers can vary.)
17, SathyaSai Road
Bengaluru
15 November 2011
The Councillor
Municipal Corporation
Bengaluru
Dear Sir,
I would like to draw your attention to the shocking
news I heard on the radio today. It said that a
poisonous snake has made its way from the snake pit
of the zoo into our locality. The whole neighbourhood
is trembling with fear now as a result. The sudden
presence of a reptile is threatening the peace and
safety of everyone. Unless, action is taken at once,
the situation would become worse. There are many
children here, who play in the gardens and streets. As
you know, it is not safe now with snakes running amok
but it is difficult to restrict children for a long time.
I request you to send snake handlers and trainers who
can catch the snake without harming it. Our intent
is not to kill the snake, but to save ourselves from
any danger it might pose. Posters may be displayed
outlining the dangers and ways of handling the
situation with caution. Kindly also provide us with
instructions on the kind of medical treatment required,
in case of a snakebite. The whole locality would be
thankful and greatly relieved if immediate action is
taken to safeguard the people of the neighbourhood.
Any delay may land our lives in grave danger.
Yours faithfully
Amit Mehta
A Heritage of Trees
Comprehension
1. a. Attack means to assault or to set upon savagely.
The man was hacking down the defenseless
tree. With the very word attack, the poet has
emphasized the fact that the tree has life, and it
is being subjected to great pain.
b. Words and phrases like There you’ll see a tragic
sight, A line of noble trees, Those noble trees, Let all
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 enjoy them, Trees are our heritage tell us that the Learning about Language
poet fervently admires trees.
Phrases
c. Words and phrases like Mutilated: branches ripped/
a. i. in a modern way·adverb phrase
Untimely from their trunks,/The trunks themselves/
ii. of great talent·adjective phrase
Wounded, lacerated/Some live attenuated/Cripples
iii. with very little vegetation in it·adjective phrase
some/Have died:/Their sides/Browned by the sun/
iv. at the correct time·adverb phrase
Their scabs and scars/Defy repair tell us that the
v. with yellow and gold marks on it·adjective phrase
poet feels that the trees have been misused
vi. at my sister’s house·adverb phrase
or hurt by man, without considering the
vii.at great cost·adverb phrase
consequences.
viii.made of gold·adjective phrase
d. By these lines, the poet means that if those kings
b. Use these adjective phrases in sentences of your
and kind people who had lovingly planted trees
own.
in the past come down from heaven now and
(Answers can vary.)
see the condition of those trees, they would be
i. The furniture in the dancerÊs house is entirely
very upset.
made of wood.
e. More peaceful shade refers to where these people
ii. There is a huge tamarind tree between the two
have gone. They are now dead, and if there is life
houses.
after death, they are enjoying a more peaceful
iii. The supermarket round the corner is quite
shade somewhere in heaven.
spacious.
f. The poem ends with the line And ash so holy. This
iv. The blackboard at the back of the class is used to
refers to the fact that in India, ash is considered
list the home assignments.
holy, and many holy people use ash to put on
c. Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the
their foreheads. The ash from dead bodies (after
adverbs with adverb phrases.
cremation) is immersed in the holy waters of
i. The boys behaved in a rude manner.
certain sacred rivers, as part of rites ensuring the
ii. The manager served me with promptness.
safe passage of the departed soul to heaven. If
iii. The woman spoke to the boys in a kind way.
ash is holy, and village fires burn wood to ash,
iv. Ali went to that place.
then people should have some respect for trees.
g. The incomplete sentences in the poem are like Listening and Speaking
the impassioned words of a person deeply
moved by the fate of the object of his love. His Answers:
emotions are so strong that his words are not 1. Sir M.V.
rhyming, they are not cut into fine poetry but 2. A small village called Muddenahalli, in Chikballapur
reads more like prose. Taluk, Kolar District, Karnataka
3. The Central College in Bangalore, and then to
Working with Words Poona
4. Engineering
1. Fill in the blanks with words taken from the
5. He devised a way of supplying water from the
poem.
river Sindhu to a town called Sukkur. He devised
a. attack b. tragic c. noble d. mutilated
a new irrigation system called the block system.
e. untimely f. defied g. patronage h. heritage
He invented special steel doors to be fitted in
2. 1. repair damage
dams so that the water flowing through the dams
2. work idleness
would not be wasted; and he was the architect of
3. untimely opportunely
the KrishnarajaSagar dam in Mysore, and much
4. plant uproot
more.
5. peaceful turbulent
6. He was knighted in 1915. He received many
6. sweet hateful
honorary degrees and fellowships of prestigious
7. holy wicked
8. noble undignified

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 institutions. In 1955, he was awarded the Bharat
Ratna.
7. The Bharat Ratna is IndiaÊs highest civilian award.
8. He was a genius, whose career was marked by
honesty, integrity, and humility.
Which of the following statements is true? 1. F, 2.
T, 3. F, 4. T, 5. T
Composition
Can you think of ways in which we can protect trees?
Write a letter to your local paper about the trees in
your neighbourhood, outlining your ideas to help
preserve them.
(Answers can vary.)
19, Lakshmi Street,
Kilpauk
Chennai ă 600 010
15 March 2013
The Editor
The Hindu
Anna Salai
Chennai ă 600 002
Dear Sir,
As citizens of this great country, we all know the
significance of preserving trees. There are quite a
number of trees in our neighbourhood. There are
neem, coconut, mango, banyan trees to name a
few. As we all know, plants and trees in the yard
or garden provide the necessary greenery required
for healthy living. Even last week, two trees were
felled for construction of apartments. In times when
deforestation has led to alarming phenomena like
global warming and acid rain, saving trees has become
an issue we have to address. Trees cleanse the air, serve
as effective sound barriers, produce oxygen, absorb
carbon dioxide, prevent soil erosion, and serve as
wind breaks during storms. Loss of trees also reduces
the availability of renewable resources like timber,
medicinal plants, nuts and fruits. It also means loss of
livelihood to the poor who rely on natural resources
for their day-to-day survival.
In the rural sector, the government should provide the
farmers with better fertilizers to increase yield out of
the already present farming land. Apart from this, the
poor should be provided an alternative to firewood
which is used frequently for cooking. This would
help in preserving of trees, to some extent. In urban
areas, it is important that we protect the remaining
greenery. The government must make it mandatory
for builders to keep a certain amount of green space
beside construction sites for the planting of trees. It
is important that we lessen the use of products made
from paper and wood. Paper should be recycled and
wooden furniture should be replaced with other
synthetic alternatives. Moreover, we should educate
our children, who are the future generation, about the
importance of preserving trees. IÊm sure they would
make the earth a better place to live in.
Yours faithfully
Zarina
12. Uncle Podger Hangs a Picture
Comprehension
1. a. When Uncle Podger sends the girl out for nails,
he forgets to tell her what size she should get.
Then he has to send one of the boys after her to
give her the message. This is when we first learn
that he does not do things in a very organized
manner.
b. The girl has to get sixpenny worth of nails and
a bit of picture cord.
c. Uncle Podger loses his coat while looking for his
handkerchief all around the room when it is in
his coat pocket, which he had taken off. When
everybody is looking for the coat he is actually
sitting on it, and only finds it again when he
stands up.
d. Uncle Podger says·Might just as well ask the cat
to find anything as expect you people to find it when
the people around him cannot find the coat that
he is actually guilty of sitting on. Later when he
himself loses the hammer while looking for the
nail, he says, Great heavens! Seven of you, gaping
round there, and you don’t know what I did with
the hammer! These examples show that Uncle
Podger does not give much credit to his helpers,
neither does he admit his own mistakes.
e. The line When the old fool was leaning over the
chair at an angle of forty-five and trying to reach a
215
 point three inches beyond what was possible for him
to reach..., tells us that the author does not think
much of Uncle PodgerÊs intelligence. The chaos
he creates around him is irritating for everybody
else involved.
f. It took Uncle Podger most of the day and half
the night to hang up the picture. Auntie Podger
thinks it may take him a week and so if he gives
an advance notice about the duration, she can
go and spend the time with her mother, in a bid
to escape the imminent chaos.
g. The author uses would so many times in
the passage because he is giving only some
instances of Uncle PodgerÊs methods of doing
things. He tells this story, which took place in
the past, but by using would he implies that
Podger usually did things like this. Chaos and
disorganization was a rule with him, and not
the exception in this particular event.
h. The passage is amusing by dint of the
incidents described in it. The incidents are
comical anecdotes about a disorganized and
exasperating man. But the narration is such
that the incidents become amusing rather than
irritating. A personÊs weaknesses are exposed
not for expressing ridicule or annoyance, but
for generating comic laughter.
i. By his actions and words, Uncle Podger seems
to be very confident of his ability to do the little
jobs at home; has the whole house running
around him to prove that he can manage the
job; is critical of everybody elseÊs unworthiness
except his own; remains unfazed by the string
of chaotic incidents that happen around his
effort to fix the picture; satisfied at the end of
all the pandemonium that he creates by saying
that some people would have called a helper of
sorts to get such a trivial work done!
2. Podger tries to save the glass and cuts himself.
He loses his handkerchief.
He drops the nail.
He loses the hammer.
He loses sight of the mark on the wall.
Trying to do a sum in his head drives him mad,
because he forgets the original number.
While using a piece of string to measure, he falls
off the chair onto the piano.
After that he smashes his thumb with the hammer.
216
During the second attempt he drives the nail and
hammer into the wall. This nearly flattens his nose.
Working with Words
Match the well-known expressions in (A) with their
meanings (B).
1-c; 2-e; 3-b; 4-a; 5-f; 6-d
Similes
a. as agile as a monkey b. as bright as a lark/peacock
c. as faithful as a dog d. as slow as a snail
e. as timid as a mouse f. as clumsy as an elephant
Hyphens
a. Look through the reading passage and find words
with hyphens.
frame-maker, dining-room, step-ladder,
kitchen-chair, spirit-level, picture-cord,
semi-circle, thirty-one, three-eighths, forty-five
b. Use the following in sentences of your own.
(Answers can vary.)
i. The bow-fronted building looked marvellous in
the moonlight.
ii. The parade-ground voice could be heard even
outside the stadium.
iii. The college auditorium was inaugurated by the
ex-Minister.
iv. The wedding took place in a huge wood-panelled
hall.
v. The seven-piece band was a musical treat for the
ears.
vi. The picture-frame window attracted everyoneÊs
attention.
c. i. green-fingered
ii. top-heavy
iii. hair-raising
iv. brother-in-law, hard-working
v. left-wing
Learning about Language
Tenses
a. Change these sentences in the present continuous
tense into the past continuous tense. Add a
suitable time phrase to each sentence.
i. The Captain was shouting at his crew this
morning.
 ii. Manohar was helping his father to build the
house last month.
iii. The workers were on strike last week.
iv. Yesterday the customer was complaining about
the slow service.
v. This morning, Old Abdul was waiting patiently
to see the doctor.
b. Change the following sentences in the past
continuous tense into the future continuous.
Don’t forget to change the time-phrase in each
sentence.
i. Tomorrow the gardener will be watering the
plants with a hosepipe.
ii. Tonight, Anil will be entertaining us with his
songs.
iii. Next Sunday, policemen will be checking driving
licenses on the highway.
iv. The participants in the race will be motoring
across the desert next month.
v. Next year, the ship will be sailing between
Chennai and Singapore.
Listening and Speaking
Presentation on How to Recycle
(Answers can vary.)
Recycling is such an important environmental issue,
and yet it seems as though there isnÊt much done about
it as a community. If you ask a random person on the
street what they think about recycling, nine times
out of ten theyÊll smirk and tell you itÊs good for the
environment. But, really, they donÊt understand the
significance of recycling. Recycling is plainly returning
an item back to its original condition so that it can be
reused. Recycling is so important to the welfare of our
community that most of the countries have passed
a law that requires all of its cities to cut the amount
of waste going to their landfills in half. Although,
few know that recycling waste products conserves
water, energy, trees, and helps reduce pollution in our
drinking water and air.
Possibly a more important reason to recycle is because
it will reduce pollution risks in our society. Perhaps
the most obvious way it will be able to do this is by
keeping waste out of landfills, which can introduce
contaminants and other toxins into groundwater
systems. Recycling also keeps materials out of
incinerators, which can pollute the air and create
severe ash residue. Furthermore, recycling lowers
environmental damage caused by logging, mining, as
well as other methods that facilitate the procreation of
raw materials. Most importantly, recycling prevents
the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water
pollutants. Perhaps the most appealing reason to
recycle is because of its ability to create a myriad
of jobs. Recycling creates eight times the amount
of jobs incinerator and landfill companies generate.
Reuse, recycling, and waste reduction offer direct
development opportunities for communities.
Composition
Describe an incident to illustrate one of the
expressions in the ‘Working with Words’ section.
You must end your illustration of the incident by
summing up with the expression you have chosen
to use.
(Answers can vary.)
To build castles in the air
Building castles in the air is just daydreaming about
something which is sometimes unrealistic and may
not take shape in life.
Building castles in the air had become a tendency
with me. I indulged in daydreaming most of the
time. I always dreamt about going abroad and living
a luxurious life there. It had become habitual and I
indulged in it even when I was studying. I was unable
to concentrate in my studies and my progress was not
satisfactory. I realized that I had fared very badly in
my first term examinations. The reality struck me and
I felt helpless. I decided to share it with my mother,
who smiled and gave me a piece of advice. She said,
„Just building castles in the air will not help you go
abroad, my child. You have to work hard and prove
yourself. Unless you study hard and score well, you
will not be able to go abroad. But you can translate
your dreams into reality if you fare well and come
out with flying colours. It is mandatory that you
now put in your efforts rather than just daydreaming
and wasting your precious time. Time will fly and
never come back. So wasting your time will land you
nowhere. You will be rewarded aptly if you put in your
efforts properly.‰ My motherÊs advice has transformed
me and I have started working hard to translate my
dreams into reality.
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 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.
Comprehension
1. a. Miss PushpaÊs friend, who refers to her as dear
sister is making the speech.
b. Yes, Miss Pushpa is a popular person. We know
this as the speaker tells us that she is sweet and
always willing to work and help out people.
c. While talking about Miss Pushpa, the speaker
remembered that he had stayed along with his
family in Surat once. He had stayed with an old
friend of his uncle, whose wife was a good cook.
d. The speaker likes Miss PushpaÊs friendliness,
sweetness, and her willingness to take on any
task that she is asked to do.
e. The expression in the poem which is neither
English nor Indian English is bon voyage
(French).
f. The poemÊs broken lines emphasize the broken
English of the speaker. It runs very naturally like
a speech given by common Indian people who
are eager to speak English but are quite happily
oblivious of its rules and regulations.
g. No, I do not think the speakerÊs comments
and thoughts about Miss Pushpa are in any
particular order. He/She begins by giving the
reason for the meeting. Then he/she aptly
describes Miss PushpaÊs sweetness. But that
sweetness wanders off to Surat, Miss PushpaÊs
native place, to an uncleÊs friend, to his wife
who used to cook well. The speaker comes back
to Pushpa but then again his/her expressions
about Ms PushpaÊs popularity with men and
ladies, the distinctly out of place French bon
voyage amidst the broken English leaves one in
no doubt about the speakerÊs lack of finesse. I
would have made the speech in an orderly way,
without mentioning about the uncleÊs friend in
Surat and certainly in simple, but good English.
Understanding Poetry
cats, cradles, vats, ladles, prats, hats, chats, speaking,
squeaking, flats
(vat: a large container used to hold or store liquids.
flat: a musical pitch, one half-step below the specified
note.)
218
Working with Words
1. Use the following in sentences of your own.
(Answers can vary.)
The restaurant is deservedly popular with all who
enjoy Mexican food.
The new employee completed the work left undone
by an ex-employee in good spirit.
The prospect of bidding goodbye to her son drove
her to tears.
The teacher was summing up the speeches given
by the students.
The students were saying the prayer loudly.
2. What are the mistakes in the following? Explain
the intended meaning and rewrite the sentences
in correct English.
a. is departing for foreign (shores)/is going abroad
b. in two or three days
c. you all know (know, see, and other sense verbs
are not used with the present continuous, e.g. I
see that..., I observe that..., I know that..., I hear
that...)
d. Miss Pushpa comes from a very grand
(important) family.
e. I do not now remember which place...
f. his wife cooked well
g. with both men and women/gentlemen and
ladies
h. Miss Pushpa never says no.
i. to improve her prospects
j. will sum up (A formal way of ending an official
meeting. Miss Pushpa is going to say a few
words, not sum up.)
Learning about Language
Clauses
Pick out the clauses in the following and say whether
they act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.
1. where it was cool· adverb clause
2. because he won the lottery· adverb clause
3. which is not very difficult· adjective clause
4. what I heard· noun clause
5. who robs banks· adjective clause
Tenses Composition
Past Present Future
Friends,
Simple He took. He takes. He will
Our dear sister
take.
is leaving for foreign shores
Continuous He was He is He will be
in two or three days,
taking. taking. taking.
and
Perfect He had He has He will
we are meeting today to say goodbye.
taken. taken. have taken.
Simple He ate. He eats. He will eat.
You all know, friends,
Continuous He was He is He will be
How sweet Miss Pushpa is:
eating. eating. eating.
I donÊt mean just how she looks,
Perfect He had He has He will
but what her heart is like.
eaten. eaten. have eaten.
Miss Pushpa smiles all the time,
for no reason except that it comes from within.
The Continuous Tenses
Complete the following. Use the past continuous
Miss Pushpa comes
tense.
From a very good family.
1. He was coming round the corner when the dog bit
Her father was a renowned advocate
him.
in Bulsar or Surat·
2. While Ramesh was cleaning the car, his sister
I donÊt remember now which place exactly.
dropped in to see him.
3. As he was walking across the courtyard in the dark, a
Surat? Ah, yes.
snake frightened him.
Only once have I stayed in Surat
4. While the woman was feeding the child, her husband
with relations
went to buy some sweets.
of my uncleÊs very old friend.
5. I was jumping around the cradle when the baby woke
His wife cooked well.
up.
That was a long time ago.
Listening and Speaking
Coming back to Miss Pushpa:
1. Listen and say each word from this list aloud, She is a most popular lady
quickly and clearly. Are the ‘o’ short or long? (popular with everyone).
Short: foot, rook, shook, crook, took, look, brook, Whenever I asked her to do something,
book, cook she always said, ÂI will do
Long: fool, soon, stool, pool, tool, spoon, cool, drool, it right nowÊ. That shows
moon a good spirit. I always
3. -d -id -t appreciate good spirit.
required seated tricked
wrinkled crooked booked Miss Pushpa never says ÂnoÊ.
pickled wicked walked Whatever anybody
bottled knighted hooked asks her, she always says ÂyesÊ-
drowned haunted picked And today she is going
danced darted stopped to improve her prospects,
failed salted dropped and we wish her luck.

Now I ask the other speakers to say a word or two,

before we hear a few words from Miss Pushpa herself.

219