Coursebook: Chapter 1: The Questions

COURSEBOOK

c. Birbal
asked the envoy’s permission to
examine the pot a little closely. When it was
granted, he walked over to the pot and bent
Chapter 1: The Questions down to examine it. Then, with a sudden
movement, he whipped off the cloth that
Summary loosely covered the mouth of the pot. Birbal
The theme of this story is understanding that peered inside and declared that the pot was
intelligence means quick thinking and ability to keep full of emptiness.
your wits about you. This is a story about Emperor 2. a. These words were said by Birbal.
Akbar and his courtier, Birbal. An envoy of the king of b. There were two profound questions. The first
Kabul comes to Akbar’s court and asks him and the one was about where the centre of the earth
courtiers some difficult questions. It is left to Birbal to was. The second one was about how many
answer the questions. As always, Birbal uses his wit stars there were in the sky.
and intelligence to find solutions to the questions and c. Birbal took ten days to answer the questions.
proves that he is unbeatable. He answered the question on the last evening
of the envoy’s visit to Emperor Akbar’s court.
Let’s Get Started 3. a. These words were said by Birbal to the
envoy of the ruler of Kabul. The first question
Name of craft State was where the centre of the earth was.
Madhubani paintings Bihar b.
Birbal
said that due to the first question
asked by the envoy, they had made a great
Buddhist Thangka paintings Sikkim discovery. He pointed to a mark he had made
Kathputli or puppetry Rajasthan on the ground and claimed that was the
Answer Keys

Kalamkari block printing Andhra Pradesh centre of the earth and they were fortunate
enough to be standing on it. He stated that
Pattachitra scrolls Odisha
all their research and consultations with
experts had revealed that truth.
Comprehension c. Birbal claimed that they were standing on
the centre of the earth and invited the envoy
Quick Recap
to verify his claim.
A.
A B Life Skills and Values
1. Birbal
saw a c. with
a covered pot Think and answer.
stranger in front of him.
1. The
answers Birbal gave were simple yet witty. The
2. Birbal
whipped off e. that
covered the first answer was such that the envoy had no way
the cloth mouth of the pot. of verifying it. As no one knew where the centre of
3. Birbal
declared that d. was
full of the earth was, he had to accept whatever answer
the pot emptiness. Birbal gave him. For the second question, Birbal
4. Birbal was a. the
number of stars answered exactly what the envoy asked and not
questioned about in the sky. what he actually wanted to know. The means of
verifying that answer was also an impossible one.
5. Birbal
revealed that b. as
many stars in the
2. From the story, we get to know that Emperor
there were sky as the hair on six
Akbar was respected and famous in various
sheep.
distant kingdoms. His court was a grand one. It
B. 1. a. An envoy from the ruler of Kabul had was well known in other kingdoms for the wisdom
brought the pot. He came to Emperor and talent of the courtiers. Some of the famous
Akbar’s court because he had heard glowing courtiers of Emperor Akbar’s court were Mulla Do
reports of the knowledge and the talent of Piaza, Shadi Shah and Birbal.
the courtiers of Akbar and wished to ask 3. The envoy had come with the intention of shaming
them a few simple questions. the court of Akbar. He wanted to prove that he
b. Mulla Do Piaza and Shadi Shah tried to guess was cleverer than the people at Akbar’s court. That
the contents of the pot. Mulla Do Piaza is why he asked difficult questions which were
guessed that it contained dry fruits. Shadi seemingly impossible to answer.
Shah said that it might have precious stones,
a length of fine silk, or gold mohurs in it.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

4. Yes,
Birbal is a very intelligent person. He uses his 3. fly:
flying. The child was amazed when it saw an
common sense and sense of humour to solve the aeroplane flying in the sky for the first time.
problems at hand. He never loses his composure 4.
roast:
roasting. Clara likes roasting marshmallows
and is quick-witted. whenever she is camping outside.
5. boast: boasting. The rich man has been
Way with Words boasting of his wealth the entire evening.
1. familiar 4. shouted 6. work: working. Our team had been working on
2. disrespectful 5. superficial this project for two months when it got cancelled.
3. unwilling 6. enemies
Listening and Speaking
Grammar in Use A. 1. The courtiers asked Emperor Akbar to choose a
Royal Advisor from among them.
A. 1. away: Adverb of place
2.
The challenge Akbar set for his courtiers was to
2. calmly: Adverb of manner
cover him from head to toe with a piece of cloth.
3. forward: Adverb of place
3. The courtiers found that if they covered the
4. undoubtedly: Adverb of manner Emperor’s head, his feet were exposed and if
5. after: Adverb of time they covered the feet, his head was exposed.
6. soon: Adverb of time 4. Birbal asked the Emperor to pull up his knees.
B. 1. isn’t she 4.
doesn’t he After that, he easily covered him with the piece
2. do they 5.
aren’t we of cloth and solved the problem.
3. am I 5. Birbal was made the Royal Advisor for solving
the problem and displaying his intelligence.
Answer Keys
Study Skills B. Students can tell the stories of Tenali Raman. They
can do some research on Tenali Raman and read
A. 1. stop: stopping. Stopping our car by the side of
some of the stories about him before doing this
the road, we went to a nearby shop to buy food.
activity. The stories should be about 5 minutes
2. map: mapping. After carefully mapping the route long. Each student should get a chance to tell
to the forest resort, we set off on our journey. a story.
3. cook: cooking. Rima has been cooking all day
as a large number of guests are coming tonight
Pen it Down
for the party.
4. bat: batting. He has been batting for a long Students should be encouraged to read up about
time and is nearing a century. the Diwan-i-Khas and the famous courtiers of Akbar’s
5. shrug: shrugging. He is in the habit of court. They can write about what Birbal really felt
shrugging his shoulders whenever he is unsure when asked the questions and whether he solved the
of something. problems immediately or actually took ten days to
6. shoot: shooting. They are shooting the climax solve them. Allow students to exercise their creativity
scene of the movie in Italy. and write the diary entry in about 400 words.
B. 1. stare: staring. Staring at people is considered to

be rude. Chapter 2: Voyage
2. ridicule: ridiculing: Rahul is always ridiculing any
opinion that is not his own. Summary
3. bare: baring. Baring one’s body is not allowed The theme of this poem is the desire for adventure and
during a football match the wish to explore unknown lands. The poem is about
4. change: changing. The changing weather is an imaginative little boy. He plans to make a paper boat
causing many people to fall ill. to float on the pond. The boy imagines that he would
5. lounge: lounging. He spent the morning sail off to distant lands in that paper boat. He will explore
lounging about reading a book. unknown lands and come across strange animals.
6. mistake: mistaking: Mistaking a stranger for his
brother, Jim gave him his address. Let’s Get Started
C. 1.
hurry: hurrying. He was hurrying home to reach 1. Lucy 4. Dorothy
in time for the Christmas dinner. 2. Gulliver 5. Alice
2. camp: camping. We have been camping on the 3. Peter Pan
hillside for one week.

Comprehension Way with Words
Quick Recap A. 1. baby 4. coal
2. bone 5. graveyard
A. 1. The three adjectives used to describe the paper
boat are pretty, simple and lovely. 3. cucumber
2. The water bodies mentioned in the poem are B. make a fortune: become wealthy by one’s own
pond, seas, stream, waterfalls and lake. efforts
3. The words ‘I will make’ have been repeated in After working hard for many years, John has finally
the poem. They have been repeated to show managed to make a fortune.
the boy’s eagerness to build the boat and travel make a living: earn enough money to live on
to distant places. Jane works as a part-time librarian to make a
4. In this poem, the words ‘float’, ‘steer’, ‘sail away’, living.
‘reach’ and ‘pass’ are associated with a journey. make an attempt: try to do something
5. The speaker is an adventurous boy with a Tomorrow, I will make an attempt to wake up at
powerful imagination. He loves to travel and the break of dawn.
dreams of exploring the distant places and make a choice: take a decision
unknown kingdoms. You have to make a choice regarding whether
B. 1. a. The speaker is a little boy who is imagining you want go to the mountains or to the sea
of going on a voyage to distant lands. for vacation.
b. The little boy wants to sail beyond the seven make peace with: to accept something
seas, the seven mountains and the seven His father advised him to make peace with his past
skies. He wishes to reach the kingdom where and start afresh.
mares have eyes of rubies.
Answer Keys
make a mess: do something very badly

c. He will reach this place by floating his little
Nitish always tries to complete his homework at
paper boat on a pond. He will sail it till he
the last moment and makes a mess of it.
reaches his destination.
make sense of: to understand something
2. a. The speaker planned to travel on his little
paper boat till he reached his destination. The detective tried very hard to make sense of the
He would sail it beyond the seven worlds clues left behind by the thief.
and remain awake till he reached some make do: manage with whatever is available
distant shore. Since we do not have mayonnaise, we have
b. The speaker hoped to reach a distant shore to make do with butter for making the
beyond the seven worlds. It is a land where sandwiches.
nothing dies and everyone is happy. C. get off: to leave a place; start a journey; go to
c. The poet wishes to go there because there is sleep; escape punishment
no sadness or pain in that land. The children I finally got off to sleep at midnight, after lying
in that land are happy and at peace. awake for a long time.
Sam got off with a caution for breaking the
Life Skills and Values traffic rule.
Think and answer. get even with: take revenge on someone
The criminal threatened to get even with the
1. The
places where the little boy wants to go are detective when he sent him to jail.
magical kingdoms. The animals living there are
get away with: escape punishment
also magical and unique. That is why the mares
No matter how badly he behaves in class, he
had eyes of rubies and the elephants had eyes of
somehow manages to get away with it.
emeralds in those lands.
get on with: be friendly with someone
2. In the poem, the poet transforms an ordinary paper
boat into an extraordinary vehicle for sailing to Suresh is a friendly person and gets on with even
magical lands. By the use of imagination, floating complete strangers.
a paper boat on a pond gets changed into a get one’s goat: irritate someone
wonderful adventure of sailing to distant lands, The people who litter in public get my goat.
where wondrous creatures live.

Grammar in Use beautiful and the calm blue waters were like an oasis
of peace after all our troubles during the pandemic.
A. 1. Will you go to the market to buy vegetables?
2. Rapunzel was rescued from the tower by a The customs and food habits of the locals were
brave prince. unfamiliar to me at first but now I truly enjoy a meal
served on coconut leaves.
3. Can I be excused from dance class today?
4. I might go to Mumbai next week. We also went on a day trip to an elephant sanctuary
5. Did he submit his assignment on time? and saw baby elephants in their nurseries. They
6. Do you like cricket? are adorable creatures and we were allowed to
7. He can help plan a wonderful tour for you. take them for a bath in a nearby river. This was an
amazing experience for me, as I never imagined I
8. Can someone call for the doctor?
would be playing with these majestic creatures in
9. Venkatesh ought to read a book in his spare time.
their natural surroundings.
Study Skills I do hope we can plan a similar trip together
sometime soon.
A. 1. /'v iid3/
c
2. Noun Yours lovingly,
3. A long journey involving travel by air or sea Saahil
(noun); to go on a voyage (verb)
4. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, the
explorer is finally returning from his voyage Chapter 3: Peril at End House
of discovery.
Summary
Answer Keys
Listening and Speaking The theme of this story is the uncovering of a mystery.
Ace detective Hercule Poirot uses the simple deductive
A. 1. False 3. False 5. False
method to point out that the 4 accidents that have
2. False 4. True happened to Nick, a young woman, are in fact
B.
1. Seamanship is a person’s skill in sailing a ship or attempts made on her life. Nick is amused and does
a boat. not think it a serious matter but Poirot uses the clues in
2. The unit for measuring a ship’s speed is knots or her stories to warn her that her life is in fact, in danger.
nautical miles per hour.
3. In earlier times, sailors used a sextant to find Let’s Get Started
the position of a ship. Now, they use GPS or A L I B I
1
Global Positioning System. It is a space-based

C
satellite navigation system.
C
Pen it Down 2
MO T I V E
M
Students should focus on the description of the
journey, including its sights, sounds and smells. They P
should describe how the place visited is different S U S
3
P E C T
4
L
from the place he/she lives in. They may write about L 5
E I
any interesting and exciting experience they had U V C
during the journey. Allow students to exercise their
D 6
E T E C T I V E
creativity and write the letter within 300-350 words.
E D
Suggested answer. Accept all valid answers. D E
Dear Sahana, U N
C C
I was so glad to receive a letter from you last week.
I was unable to reply earlier as I was on vacation in
7
M Y S T E R Y E
Kerala. I want to tell you all about the exciting time
I had.
You know I have always lived in the city so the
thought of living for a week on a house boat in
Kerala was very exciting. The backwaters are

Comprehension Life Skills and Values
Quick Recap Think and answer.
A. 1. Nick was carrying ice and a tray of bottles when 1. Poirot

was an extremely keen observer of details.
she entered the room. He also had a quick deductive mind and was
2. Poirot held out his hand to her with the bullet very patient as well. He could see patterns and
on the palm of it. This made her frown. details that others couldn’t. For example, he
3. Poirot was worried that Nick was in danger could find connections between the four incidents
because of the repeated incidents that had and identify a threat to Nick’s life in them, which
occurred to her, including the presence of bullet shows that he could find patterns in incidents that
in the hotel garden. seemed random to others. He was also haughty
4. The first incident was the falling down of a and proud of his achievements as he seemed
heavy picture on the bed where Nick was offended when Nick didn’t recognize who he was.
sleeping. She had luckily just gone to check out 2. Nick was amused when Poirot told her that the four
the sound of a banging door and had escaped incidents were actual attempts made on her life.
the picture hitting her head. The second Nick was of the opinion that no one would bother
incident was a loose boulder getting dislodged to kill her as she was not a beautiful young heiress
off a cliff path and just missing her on her way whose death would benefit anyone monetarily.
down to the sea to bathe one day. Therefore, she found the idea incredulous.
5. Nick was wriggling uncomfortably and had a However, I do feel that she could be lying because
hunted look in her eyes when asked if she knew all the four incidents were serious ones and could
of Hercule Poirot. This made Poirot conclude have cost her her life. Therefore, she could be
that she didn’t know who he was. hiding some secret that only she knew and did not
Answer Keys
share with Poirot.

B. 1. a. Hercule Poirot is being referred to as ‘he’.
Nick is being spoken to.
Way with Words
b. The woman had just poured out lemonade
for the man. 1. Celebrities are said to lead charmed lives because
c. Poirot requested Nick to narrate the previous of the luxury they enjoy.
incidents to him. 2. The window pane got dislodged in the storm.
2. a.
Nick laughed because Poirot had told her that 3. My father liked to tinker with his carpentry tools in
those incidents were actual attempts made on the shed .
her life. This seemed to amuse Nick greatly. 4. Neeraj Chopra’s performance in athletics in the
b. The fourth incident of the bullet in the hotel Tokyo Olympics might remain unsurpassed for
garden had brought about the marvellous idea years to come.
that someone was attempting Nick’s life. 5. The cap of the jar was left loose and so the fly got
c. Nick was of the opinion that no one would into the jam.
bother to kill her as she was not the beautiful 6. The crime scene is sealed off by the police so that
young heiress whose death would benefit the evidence is not tampered with.
the killer monetarily. Therefore, she found
the idea marvelous. Grammar in Use
3. a. The speaker is Hercule Poirot. The brakes of
the car weren’t working properly. As a result, A. 1. My mother: subject, cooked: verb, noodles:
if Nick had gone through the gate and down object
the hill, the brakes wouldn’t have held and 2. Eric Clapton: subject, played: verb, the guitar:
there would have been an accident. object
b. She had wondered if Ellen, her stand-by’s 3. Harry: subject, gave: verb, Sally, a flower: objects
boy had tinkered with it. She thought that 4. Samuel: subject, lost: verb, his wallet: object
boys like messing about with cars and that 5. Many children: subject, do not like: verb,
could have been the reason. homework: object
c. The car was usually kept in her garage round 6. The students: subject, are studying: verb,
the other side of the house. The fact that history: object
it was not kept locked and anyone could
tamper with the car unobserved made Poirot B. 1. are 3. were 5. is
ask the question. 2. have 4. was 6. is
C. 1. are 3. goes 5. go
2. wants 4. writes 6. are

Study Skills Chapter 4: Owls in the Family
wreck, daughter, what, knock, sword, walking, whole, Summary
climb, knight, guitar, design, listen, guess, muscle
The theme of the story is having an unusual pet and
having love and affection for animals. The story is
Listening and Speaking about how a young boy and his grandfather find two
This can be done as a group activity to improve spotted owlets and raise them. The owls develop
communication skill. It will teach students to ask correct some peculiar habits while staying at their place, like
questions to get appropriate information. This game eating spaghetti and being fond of anyone wearing
encourages detective reasoning and creativity. Please petticoat. They also help destroy the beetles infesting
see suggested answer. Accept all valid answers. the house. Slowly, the owls become members of the
narrator’s family.
Possible name: Harry Potter
Let’s Get Started
Possible questions
Are you a real person? owlet a small owl found in Asia and Africa
Are you an adult?
owlery a man-made or natural shelter where
Are you a boy? owls stay
Are you an adventurous person?
hoot a low-pitched sound or call made by
Are you a hero? owls
Do you have friends?
talons large hooked claws of predators like
Are you a successful person?
owls
nocturnal something that occurs at night
Answer Keys
Pen it Down
Comprehension
Writing a message
Quick Recap
Students should ensure that the message is clear and
contains all relevant information. Points to be included: A. 1. Grandfather found the spotted owlet on the
ground near the verandah steps. It hissed and
• condition of the car
clacked when he picked it up.
• the problem that happened
2. The spotted owlet is about the size of a mynah
• whether the car had been tinkered with when it is fully grown and does not look
• possible repairs needed fearsome like the bigger owls. It is often found
Sample message. Accept all valid answers. nesting in tamarind and mango trees. Generally,
it is not afraid of people. Though not a night
Dear Arthur, bird, it prefers to stay indoors during the day to
I need your help. My car brakes stopped working just as avoid being attacked by other birds.
I was about to take the car down the hill. I could have 3. The narrator and his grandfather were attacked
had a terrible accident. Do you thing something has by the mother owl when they went to release
come loose? I know for sure nobody else has touched the owlets in the garden. She gave a heavy
the car. You must immediately repair it. blow on the narrator’s head and tried to do the
same to his grandfather, but missed.
Thanks, 4. The owls snapped at anyone wearing trousers,
Nick Buckley including the narrator and his grandfather.
Grandfather wore a petticoat at feeding times
while the narrator wore an apron to avoid
Notice Writing displeasing the birds.
5. The owlets were free to move around the house
Students can be encouraged to use the sample given in as they liked at night. They would catch beetles,
the coursebook to write the notice. Points to remember: which the kitchen quarters were full of.
• Give a catchy heading 6. At the narrator’s house, the owls used to eat
• Mention date, time and venue correctly spaghetti and show their affection towards
anyone who wore a petticoat. These were the
• Highlight the name of the celebrity guest
two unique habits demonstrated by the owls.
• Use the passive voice and have a formal tone
• Do not exceed 50 words

B.
1. a. The mother owl is being referred to in this C. 1. beeline: went straight to
line. The narrator is being referred to as the 2. raining cats and dogs: raining heavily
foster parent here. 3. lion’s share: largest share
b. The mother owl had left a mouse as food 4. blind as a bat: have very bad eyesight
for her owlets in the care of the narrator. It
5. bull in a china shop: clumsy
showed that she did not have complete faith
in the narrator to feed the owlets properly.
Grammar in Use
2. a. The narrator’s grandfather said these words
to the narrator. A. 1. Subject: the bird, Predicate: is not normally
b. The mother owl brought back her two owlets afraid of man
to the narrator’s house so that they could 2. Subject: it, Predicate: prefers to stay at home
have a better home. She made this choice during the day
even when it meant she could not live with 3. Subject: the two owlets, Predicate: became
the owlets. This prompted Grandfather to regular members of our household
make this comment.
4. Subject: they, Predicate: seemed quite fond of
3. a. Aunt Mabel is being referred to here. spaghetti
b. The owlets had become so attached to
5. Subject: the owls, Predicate: loved to sit and
Grandmother that they showed affection to
splash in the shallow dish
anyone in a petticoat. This is why they sidled
up to Aunt Mabel, even though she was B. 1. Will you come to my birthday party today?
terrified of them. 2. Kabir is a helpful boy.
3. Pick up your books.
Life Skills and Values
4. Alas! The king is no more.
Answer Keys
Think and answer. 5. Maya does not like eating ice cream.
1. The
narrator’s grandmother was a very loving C. 1. Can we come to the party even if we are not
and caring person. She took a liking to the invited?
owlets because they were very small and 2. Oh! I love this beautiful dress.
helpless. They needed special care and were 3. Isn’t she clever enough to know what to do?
harmless too.
4. The king ordered the explorer to bring him a
2. The story shows through several incidents that hundred rubies from Samarkand.
owls are lovable creatures. They do not bring ill 5. This weather is lovely.
luck, contrary to popular superstition.
3. The story is a humorous one. It has several funny Study Skills
incidents like the one where Aunt Mabel ran away
A. flopped: The actor’s last movie has flopped at the
from the owlets when they went to her to show
box office.
their affection. Grandfather wearing a petticoat
and the narrator wearing an apron to feed the topped: This book has topped the bestsellers’ list
owlets is another example of humour in the story. for two months continuously.
knitted: Every winter, our grandmother knitted
Way with Words sweaters for us to wear on Christmas Day.
tipped: He was very happy with the behaviour of
A. 1. contented 4.
except the waiter and tipped him handsomely.
2. compromised 5.
affect filled: The pictures of spaceships and robots filled
3. snuggled 6.
proficient the little boy’s mind with wonder.
B. mopped: She mopped the floor with a broom
Animal/Bird Sound before placing the new rug on it.
1. alligator e. hiss committed: Our school is committed to helping
2. blackbird d. whistle poor children receive a good education without
paying any fee.
3. mouse c. squeak
submitted: After working on this project for the
4. chimpanzee b. grunt entire year, we have finally submitted it today.
5. rhinoceros f. bellow B. fusses: The little girl always fusses about her food.
6. hyena g. scream flashes: The police officer usually flashes his badge
when approaching a suspect.
munches: He always munches on popcorn while
watching a movie.

tosses: To be on a boat when the wind tosses it Chapter 5: Word Balloon
up and down during a storm is a frightening
experience. Summary
wishes: James often wishes that he could travel The theme of the poem is the beauty of the words
around the world and see all its wonders. and how they help us to understand the world around
empties: After flowing through several different us. The nonsense poem is about using words to make
states, the Ganga empties itself into the Bay a balloon. The poet associates various words with
of Bengal. their meanings and describes how the words will
hurries: If he hurries to the station, he might still perform the functions their meanings denote.
catch the train.
worries: Rohan’s mother always worries about the Let’s Get Started
his exam results.
fancies: Priya fancies the dress she saw her friend SIGHT SOUND SMELL TOUCH TASTE
wearing at the party last night. overflowing sizzling stinky spiky creamy
flies: When winter comes, the swallow flies to
shiny clanging aromatic furry bitter
distant countries in search of warmer places.
copies: The naughty boy always copies the actions delectable
of his younger brother and annoys him. tangy

Comprehension
1. False 3. False 5. True
Quick Recap
2. True 4. True 6. True
Answer Keys
A. 1. The poet wishes to ride a word balloon made of
Pen it Down words like bandicoot and caravanserai. Riding
the balloon, she would go high up in the sky.
Students should describe the pet and write about why
the pet is unusual. Using the provided hints, they can 2. The lighter words like ethereal and fey will be
describe the habits of the pet, how they interact with used by the poet when she wants to travel
their pet and how important the pet is to them. quickly. As these words are light, it will help the
balloon gain altitude and move fast.
The essay should be written in the first person and in 3. The heavier words will keep the balloon from
about 500 words. Allow students to use their creativity drifting away. They will function as anchors and
in writing. help the balloon remain at one place.
Sample answer. Accept all valid answers. 4. The words with which the poet wishes to make
her word balloon are all found in the dictionary.
An unusual pet
B. 1. a. The words used in this stanza are all
My grandfather gifted me a hedgehog for my related to light and brightness. The words
birthday. I have always been fascinated by animals but ‘scintillate’ and ‘radiate’ are both associated
keeping a pet is a responsibility. I decided to read up with lighting up something. Hence, the poet
all about the care of hedgehogs and my grandfather says that these words are bright and shiny.
promised to help me care for it. At first sight a b. The bright words mentioned by the poet are
hedgehog can be scary, but in spite of its prickly ‘scintillate’ and ‘radiate’.
outside it is an incredibly warm and friendly animal. c. The figure of speech used in this stanza is a
I named my hedgehog Spinoza and it has become simile. The poet compares the flight of the
my constant companion. It has a calm and quiet shiny, happy words to that of a hummingbird
expression on its face and always seems to be deep in using the word ‘like’. Just as a hummingbird
thought. The only problem it loves to wander about at flutters from one place to another in a
night and demands my company at all times. carefree way, the words used in this stanza
Spinoza and I have now become inseparable and I am are happy and shiny and will move in a
grateful to my grandfather for gifting me an unusual similar manner.
but incredible pet. 2. a. The poet feeds all the words she finds in a
dictionary to her canary.
b. The word ‘pedigreed’ means belonging to a
distinguished family or lineage.

c. The
words used by the poet are nice and C. 1. honour 2. equipment
sound impressive. So they can be fed to a 3. woods 4. bricks
canary coming from a distinguished lineage 5. information 6. food
of birds. Once the canary is fed those words, D. 1. cooked: Transitive 4. lies: Intransitive
it will repeat those words and sound even
2. slept: Intransitive 5. painted: Transitive
more impressive.
3. find: Transitive 6. danced: Intransitive
Study Skills
Think and answer.
Words Style labels
1. There
are several nonsensical elements in the
1. freebie b. spoken
poem. Words cannot be used as materials for
making a balloon. Light words cannot make a 2. bedchamber e. old-fashioned
balloon move faster, nor can heavy words act as 3. boss d. informal
anchors. Words that are related to brightness
4. employer a. formal
do not shine or appear to be bright themselves.
Moreover, a canary is not fed on words. The 5. adieu c. literary
poet’s description of these actions are the
nonsensical elements in the poem. Listening and Speaking
2. Yes, the poet is a lover of words. She enjoys the
sound and feel of words. She seems to have had Words with similar spelling that do not rhyme:
great fun while writing this poem, using different break: freak, sew: few, horse: worse, beard: heard,
words and playing with their meanings. It is evident lord: word, cow: low, shoe: toe, dose: lose, comb:
in the variety of words she uses. tomb, doll: roll, home: some, food: good, mould:
Answer Keys
could, paid: said, done: gone

Way with Words Rhyming words with different spelling: verse: worse,
A. happy happily unhappy unhappily heard: word, lose: choose
fly flight flyer flying
B. light shining glowing gleaming Pen it Down
drift float wander roam Students should try to make the poems funny. They can
C. 1. book a ticket: buy a ticket. Please book a ticket use the dictionary to find rhyming words. The teacher
for me on the next flight to Hong Kong. can explain the rhyme scheme of a simple poem to
2. be in someone’s bad books: to be unpopular them before they attempt to do this exercise. Allow
with someone. The minister has been in the king’s students to use their imagination.
bad books ever since he failed in the last mission.
3. take a leaf out of someone’s book: imitate.
Chapter 6: Palanquin Bearers
Raj should take a leaf out of his brother’s book
about how to behave with elderly people. Summary
4. go by the book: follow the rules. Rahul always
The theme of this poem is the rhythmic movement of
goes by the book while playing any game.
a palanquin being carried by its bearers. The poem is
Grammar in Use about a young bride being carried to her new home
by the palanquin bearers. The poem describes the
A. 1. loaves 3. passers-by 5. deer thoughts and emotions of the palanquin bearers as
2. syllabus 4. lilies 6. tragedies they carry the bride.
B. 1. The queen marched her women towards Argos.
2. The countess and the duke decided to get Let’s Get Started
married.
1. d. 2. f. 3. a. 4. e. 5. g. 6. c. 7. b.
3. The mare gave the bridegroom a rough ride.
4. The cock chased the gander into the water.
5. The man-servant decided to work for the
landlord.

Comprehension Life Skills and Values
Quick Recap Think and answer.
A. 1.
A bride is being carried by the palanquin bearers. 1. The
bride is beautiful and shy. She is happy at
2. Lightly and gaily are the two adverbs used to the beginning of a new life but also sad at her
describe the way the palanquin bearers were separation from her parents.
carrying the palanquin with the bride inside. 2. The
palanquin bearers enjoy their work. They are
3. The palanquin bearers were probably taking the singing happily while carrying the bride to her
bride to her husband’s home. new home. Their light movement and merriness at
4. The word ‘gaily’ indicates the cheerful mood of getting to carry the bride to her home show that
the palanquin bearers. they are enjoying their work.
B. 1. a. These lines are said by the palanquin bearers 3. The use of rhyming couplets gives the poem
about the bride they are carrying in their the effect of the lilting rhythm. It is similar to the
palanquin. movement of the palanquin bearers.
b. The word ‘lightly’ suggests quick movement,
rhythmic speed and light-heartedness. Way with Words
Hence, it is used to describe the way in A. as gentle as a breeze: The sari is made of very fine
which the palanquin bearers are moving. silk and its touch felt as gentle as a breeze.
c. ‘She sways like a flower in the wind of as bright as the sun: After coming out of the dark
our song’ is a simile. The bride inside tunnel, the light bulbs seemed to be as bright
the palanquin sways rhythmically to the as the sun.
movements and song of the palanquin
as beautiful as a flower: The king was fond of
bearers. She is like a beautiful flower swaying
Answer Keys
his little daughter who was as beautiful as
in the breeze.
a flower.
2. a. A pearl on a string refers to something
as clever as a fox: Do not be fooled by his
beautiful and fragile. Similar to that, the
appearance, he is as clever as a fox.
bride carried by the palanquin bearers is
very beautiful and delicate. To the palanquin as fast as the wind: When Tom realized he was late
bearers, she is as precious as a pearl. for school, he ran as fast as the wind to reach
on time.
b. ‘Gaily, O gaily we glide’ is the alliterative line
in the quoted lines. The letter ‘g’ has been B.
Students can use these rhyming words to write the
repeated at regular intervals. couplets:
c. The bride’s movement has been compared 1. day: hay 4. goodbye: sigh
to the movement of a pearl tied to a string. 2. sing: ring 5. dance: chance
Just as the pearl moves at the slightest 3. fun: run
movement of the string, the bride is moving
C. Word Meaning
with the movement of the palanquin as it is
being carried by the palanquin bearers. 1. glide c. move smoothly and quietly
3. a. In these lines, ‘brow of a tide’ refers to the 2. stroll e. walk in a slow relaxed manner
palanquin which is carried by the rhythmic
movement of its bearers. Just as the 3. run d. move
at a speed quicker than
sunbeams falling on the waves are swayed a walk
by the gentle movement of the waves, the 4. dash b. go
somewhere suddenly and/
bride inside the palanquin is moving with the or quickly
movement of the palanquin. 5. race a. move very fast
b. In these lines, the word ‘beam’ refers to the
sunbeam that falls on the sea waves. The D. 1. race, runs 3. dashed
figure of speech used here is a simile. 2. stroll 4. glided
The sunbeams falling on the sea waves
move up and down with the movement of Grammar in Use
the waves. Similarly, the bride is moving with
A. 1. Surfing (surf) is an expensive hobby.
every movement of the palanquin.
2. It is easy to change (change) the opinions of
c. The bride has left her father’s house and is
the public these days.
on her way to begin a new phase of her life.
She is sad to leave her parents’ place behind
and crying to express that sadness.

3. I need to visit (visit) the tailor soon. Students can do some research before writing the
4. Painting (paint) is Subha’s favourite pastime. essay. Allow them to be creative and write the essay in
5. It is dangerous to swim (swim) in stormy about 500 words.
weather.
6. Gardening (garden) takes up most of my Chapter 7: Painting the Breeze
grandmother’s morning.
7. We were relieved to know (know) that vaccines Summary
were available to everyone. The theme of this story is how imagination can change
8. Stealing (steal) is a crime in every part of the everyday objects into a work of art. The story is set
world. during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. A young girl and
B. 1. The new born kitten was too feeble to cry. her brother try to sell earthen pots and pitchers during
Qualifies: kitten their father’s sickness. The girl uses her imagination to
2. The new kitchen cabinet is not sturdy enough paint various objects on the pots. As queen Mahadevi
to hold the heavy vessels. Qualifies: cabinet passes by their house, she stops to admire their work.
3. My new smartphone is not as slender as my The queen buys all the pots and appoint the two
previous phone. Qualifies: smartphone children potters to the royal family.
4. It is dangerous to go skydiving without proper Let’s Get Started
training. Qualifies: skydiving
5. The hunter was a brave man, but he lived in 1. Held
together by egg yolk or glue, tempera
mortal fear of lizards. Qualifies: fear colours are used to create very long-lasting
C. 1. many: Adjective of quantity paintings. However, this medium is not that
2. little: Adjective of quality popular today.
2. Made with pigment and artificial colours, water
Answer Keys
3. what: Interrogative adjective

colours are used to create beautiful paintings, such
4. oldest: Adjective of quality
as landscapes and flowers, by mixing the paint
5. this: Demonstrative adjective with water.
6. second: Adjective of number 3. Formed into sticks like crayons, oil pastels are
made by mixing colour pigments with oil and wax.
Study Skills
4. Created by suspending pigment in water, acrylic
A. 1. odd: short o 7.
not: short o paints are fast-drying colours that are actually
2. ode: long o 8. note: long o water-resistant when dry, and can be used to paint
3. cop: short o 9. sock: short o on different surfaces.
4. cope: long o 10. soak: long o 5. Made with a mixture of dry powder and linseed oil,
5. dot: short o 11. comma: short o oils paints have been used by many famous artists
to create striking portraits, like the Monalisa.
6. dote: long o 12. coma: long o
B. short o: doll, block, cot, rob, glob Comprehension
long o: dole, bloke, cote, robe, globe
Quick Recap
Listening and Speaking A. 7. Parvati and Laxman’s father lay ill with fever and
Students can talk for or against the topic. Those who was unable to make pots.
are speaking for the topic can talk about how these 2. Parvati decided to paint the pots as painted
professions are still relevant and how various rites and pots sold better.
rituals cannot be completed without them. Those who 5. Parvati used only black and white colours, which
are speaking against the topic can talk about how she had made herself.
advancements in technology have rendered these 1. Parvati was startled to see the bullock cart of a
professions obsolete. very wealthy lady stop in their lane.
6. Parvati’s paintings were greatly appreciated by
Pen it Down the lady.
4. Parvati was given a small copper piece with a
Students can write on how the day begins for that
carving stamped on it.
person, how he/she does his/her job and at what
time he/she returns home. They can include details 3. Parvati and Laxman were made potters to the
of interesting people they meet and exciting or royal family by the queen.
funny incidents that happen in the course of the day.

B. 1. a. A little earlier, Parvati was startled by a red and b. The
queen told Parvati that she and her
black butterfly as it flew across her face and husband would like the pots painted by
then fluttered down to perch on the yellow Parvati. Whenever she painted the breeze,
pumpkin flower on the courtyard hedge. She the koel, or the song, the queen would buy
had looked up to see the butterfly. them all.
b.
The horsemen looked grand in their uniform. c. The queen gave Parvati a small copper piece
Their short spears glittered in the sun. Across with an engraving on it. She gave it to Parvati
their chests, over the short-sleeved tunics, so that she would not be stopped at the
were the cross straps to carry the quiver of gates by the guards whenever she went to
arrows. The broad leather belt was for the the palace with her painted pots.
sword and their head bands were tied across
their foreheads with colourful bows. Life Skills and Values
c. Laxman decided to run back into the house Think and answer.
and get their pots out to display them before
the noble lady who was inside the cart. She 1. Parvati
had a unique way of seeing the world
hoped the wealthy lady would like the pots around her. She could depict abstract ideas like a
and pay them good price for the pots and song or the breeze through her drawing.
pitchers. 2. The lady was gracious and appreciative. She was
2. a. One of the horsemen rode up to where kind-hearted and caring as well.
Laxman and Parvati were standing. He looked 3. The title of the story is a reference to Parvati’s
at them angrily and scolded them for not special ability to depict the abstract ideas. All the
knowing who was in the cart. He threatened events in the story revolve around the pots she
Laxman that he would make his horse walk paints so imaginatively. Thus, the title refers to the
Answer Keys
over the pots and smash them to bits, if central idea of this story.
Laxman did not move back.
b. Parvati saw a woman sitting, leaning Way with Words
against bolsters inside the cart, with a A. 1. architect 5. carpenter
maid perched behind her. She had never
2. developer 6. blacksmith
seen anyone who looked so majestic. All
her clothes were of the finest cotton. The 3. engineer 7. cartographer
antariya, tied like a dhoti, was embroidered 4. fashion designer 8. baker
all over with gold. The long scarf of the B. Verb Meaning
uttariya, draped across her body and swept
1. Please draw your chair e. pull closer
over her head, was gossamer thin in the
next to mine.
shade of dull gold and set with precious
stones. The karnikas were big and made of 2. I want to draw your c. attract
gold. The mekhala worn around her waist attention to the sentence
was made of silver chains. She wore two I just wrote.
necklaces. One was a short string of pearls 3. The policeman drew out d. took out
called kantha and the other was a long his gun.
gold chain down to her waist. It was called 4. Please draw the curtains b. close
lambanam. At her wrists were thick bangles and switch off the lights.
of gold, and the baju worn on the upper 5. He drew a deep breath f. inhaled deeply
arms glittered with jewels. Her anklets were and paused for an answer.
intricately designed in gold. 6. Draw a comparison a. make
c. Parvati thought that the lady would not between the two stories.
like her painted pots because she painted
them for fun and did not think it would be Grammar in Use
appreciated by everybody. She thought
the lady in the cart was too wealthy to like A. 1. constellation 3. tuft 5. fleet
something as simple as earthen pots. 2. clump 4. pride 6. chest
3. a. Queen Mahadevi, the Mauryan queen, said B. 2. Unless I am invited, I will not go for the party.
this to Parvati. Her husband was Emperor
3. Unless you leave now, you will not be home by
Ashoka Vardhan.
noon.
4. If you bake a cake, I will come to your house.
5. If it is sunny, we can play cricket.

6. Unless
Medha applies for a passport immediately, D.
she will not be able to participate in the Science A B
Olympiad in Japan. 1. Zeus c. His temper affected the
Study Skills weather and he threw
thunderbolts when he
B. ‘en-joy ba-‘ted was angry
‘watch-ing hus-‘band 2. Hera g. Her symbols were the
‘mous-tached ‘jew-elle-ry peacock and the cow
‘sol-diers 3. Poseidon a. He lived in a beautiful palace
under the sea
4. Aphrodite e. She was born from the sea
Students can do some research on how people lived on a shell
their lives in the Mauryan period. Students speaking 5. Apollo d. God of music and poetry
for the topic can talk about how life was simpler
6. Ares b. The god of war was cruel
back then and people were not overly dependent on
and a coward
technology. Those speaking against the topic can talk
about prevalence of diseases, difficulties in travelling, 7. Artemis h. Was an archer who hunted
and lack of means of communication. with a silver bow
8. Athena f. Zeus’ favourite child
Sample answer. Accept all valid answers.
In ancient times life was definitely simpler and more Chapter 8: The Snail
peaceful. We lived in small communities where
everyone knew and trusted each other. We did not Summary
show off fancy gadgets and there was no jealously
Answer Keys
The theme of this poem is how an insignificant

about who owned more expensive products. Our
creature can teach us lessons in life. The poem is
wants were few and we were easily satisfied. Our rivers
about a snail crossing the road to go the other side
were unpolluted and are skies were unclouded with
where the grass is greener. It moves very slowly and
poisonous gases. Life was predictable and secure.
is in constant danger of getting crushed under the
In modern time life has become faster and challenges wheels of a passing car. Still, the snail continues
are many. These challenges bring many opportunities determinedly and when it finally reaches its
for us to express our talents and abilities. We also destination, the poet learns a valuable lesson from it.
believe that all sections of society specially women
should be given freedom and liberty to fulfil their
aspirations. Technology has made our live more
Let’s Get Started
comfortable and productive and the future is 1. c. 2. d. 3. b. 4. a.
unfamiliar but exciting.
Comprehension
Pen it Down
Quick Recap
Students can write about the things they are good
at and the areas which need improvement. They can A. 1. In the context of the poem, the quoted lines
include points on how they plan to overcome their mean the grass on the other side of the road
weaknesses and further strengthen their strong points. was fresher and lusher than the side on which
Allow students to think creatively and write the essay the snail was standing. The proverb ‘the grass
in around 500 words. is greener on the other side’ means we always
believe that other persons are happier and
Research and Write leading a better life than we are doing.
2. The snail cannot cross the road like others
A. Free response. Accept all valid answers.
because it is not made to weave, dodge or
B. Free response. Accept all valid answers.
move quickly. As a result, it must wait carefully
Encourage students to integrate art into their
for the passers-by to move and the cars to pass
answer using their creativity and imagination.
before it can move forward. Even then, each
C. Students should talk about how the palanquin step it takes is a risk to its life.
bearers work hard to earn their living. They should
3. The lines ‘Though all unaware/Of the dangers
talk about the importance of hard work and how
of being squashed,’ indicate that the snail was
people respect honest, hardworking people while
unaware of the dangers to its life as it tries to
explaining the proverb. Encourage students to
cross the road to reach the other side.
connect their answers to SDG 8.

4. The poet has used the word ‘intent’ to indicate 2. There are several details of a snail’s life that the
the determination with which the snail was poem tells us about. The snail lives on a rocky
crossing the road. Every step the snail takes poses ledge and enjoys eating juicy leaves, stem and
a risk to its life, still the snail is intent on having its mould. It moves slowly and is unaware of the
dinner only after reaching the other side. dangers to its life most of the time.
B. 1. a. The snail left the safety of the rocky ledge to
start his long journey across a busy path.
Way with Words
b. The phrase ‘busy path’ refers to the road the 1. as free as a bird: The student waited for the exams
snail has to cross to reach the other side. to get over so that he can play all day long and be
It is extremely crowded, with cars passing as free as a bird.
constantly. 2. as blind as a bat: Raina is as blind as a bat without
c. The grass on the other side of the road was her spectacles and yet she refuses to wear them.
fresher and greener than the side the snail 3. as hungry as a wolf: I have not eaten anything since
was on. That’s why the snail was crossing last night and now I am as hungry as a wolf.
the road so that it could have its dinner after 4. as cunning as a fox: Jatin pretends to be a simple
reaching the opposite side. person but actually he is as cunning as a fox.
2. a. The snail does not pause or flinch while 5. as
stubborn as a mule: Ramesh is as stubborn as
trying to cross the road because it is unaware a mule and will never accept others’ opinion, no
that it can be crushed to death by a passing matter how sound they are.
car any moment. As a result, it crosses the
6. as slippery as a fish: Stuart is as slippery as a
road without caring about the threats to
fish and always manages to get out of difficult
its life.
situations.
b. The snail managed to avoid being crushed
Answer Keys
under the wheels of a passing cart, or Grammar in Use
footsteps of men.
c. The snail was rewarded for its perseverance 1. direct object: bouquet, indirect object: her
by the presence of rich leaf-mould and tall 2. direct object: household chores, indirect object:
grass on the other side of the road. It can her mother
feast on it to its heart’s content. 3. direct object: bag
3. a. The poet is full of admiration for the little 4. direct object: novel, indirect object: life
snail. It is a tiny creature but displayed great 5. direct object: advice
courage and determination to risk all and to 6. direct object: speedy recovery, indirect object: you
reach its goal. That’s why the poet is saluting
the snail. Study Skills
b. In the quoted lines, the word ‘small’ means
the poet was humbled by the determination With ti With sh With ch With ci With ss
and courage shown by a tiny snail. He feels station English machine mathematician admission
that in spite of his bigger size and ability
information vanish parachute financial assure
to move faster, he would not be able to
display the sort of bravery the snail did. section wash cache physician recession
c. The word ‘somehow’ implies that in spite of Listening and Speaking
the apparent insignificance of the snail, it has
made the poet feel inferior. The snail is much 1. The king learned that greed causes great harm
smaller in size than the poet and yet the poet to man. It can confuse him and make him
feels small and insignificant in the presence unsuccessful and unhappy.
of something so brave and purposeful. 2. Students can talk about how wars are meaningless
and why people should be content with that they
Life Skills and Values have.
Think and answer.
Pen it Down
1. The
poem conveys the message that size does
Students can choose any animal or bird of their
not matter when it comes to determination and
choice. It can be a dog, a cat or an owl. The poem can
courage. It also teaches us that the smallest and
be on what the animal or the bird does that inspires
most insignificant creature in nature has a lesson
the student and how he/she plans to use that lesson
for us all.
in life. Allow students to use their creativity and write
a poem of 15-20 lines.

Chapter 9: Tom Paints the Fence c. Initially,
Tom offered Jim to fetch water from
the town pump and asked him to paint the
Summary fence in return. When Jim was unwilling to
This is an extract from The Adventures of Tom do so, Tom offered him a white marble.
Sawyer. The theme of this story is how a mischievous 2. a. Tom thought about the fun he had planned
boy outwits his friends into doing his work for him. for that Saturday and his sorrows multiplied.
Tom is punished by his Aunt Polly for missing school He imagined that soon the other boys would
and has to paint a long fence on a Saturday. He come along and they would make fun of
devises a plan and tricks the children of the town into him for having to work on a holiday. He took
thinking that painting a fence is a rare opportunity out all his possession from his pocket and
and make them work in his stead. The children not examined them—bits of toys, marbles and
only paint the fence but also give Tom the valuable trash. It was not enough to buy him half an
things they possess for getting a chance to paint hour of pure freedom. These thoughts made
the fence. him hopeless.
b. The word ‘inspiration’ means a bright and
Let’s Get Started brilliant idea for solving a difficult problem.
1. I had a ball with my friends at Sara’s birthday party. Tom’s idea was to make his task seem
L extremely attractive to the other boys so
that they would want to do his work for
2.
Make hay while the sun shines and complete the
him voluntarily.
project. Very soon, you will have other work to do.
W c. Ben Rogers came along the road moments
after Tom had his brilliant idea.
3. After her work was done, Mrs Comer let her hair
down by listening to some music. L He was munching an apple.
Answer Keys
4. Why don’t you stop painting the wall and put your On seeing him come, Tom took up his brush
feet up for a while? L and started working enthusiastically. When
Ben spoke to him, he initially acted like he
5. Junaid has been working his fingers to the bone to
could not hear Ben as he was so engrossed
earn enough money to pay off his debts. W
in his work. He pretended that he was having
6. Our hosts at the home stay went the extra mile to
too much fun painting the fence.
make sure that we were comfortable. W
d. Ben initially offered Tom the core of the apple
7. With two of four members leaving, Sebastian has
he was eating in exchange for getting a
to start pulling his weight on the team soon. W
chance to paint the fence. When Tom refused
8. Satya has been working hard day and night for him, Ben offered him the entire apple.
weeks. If he continues burning the candle at both
3. a. At the start of the day, Tom only had bits of
ends, he will soon fall ill. W
toys and marbles and some trash. By the
time the fence was whitewashed, he had the
Comprehension core of an apple, a dead rat on a string to
Quick Recap swing it on, twelve marbles, a harp, a piece
of blue bottle-glass to look through, a key
A. 1. Tom had a bucket of whitewash and a long that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment
handled brush to paint the fence. of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a
2. Tom offered Jim a white marble as a bribe. tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-
3. Billy Fisher gave Tom a kite, while Johnny Miller crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass
bribed him with a dead rat with a string to doorknob, a dog-collar, the handle of a knife
swing it with. and four pieces of orange-peel.
4. In order to make a person covet a thing, it is b. Tom successfully convinced the other boys of
necessary to make it difficult to attain. the town that whitewashing a fence was the
5. The fence got three coats of whitewash on it. most fun activity a boy can participate in. The
B. 1. a. After giving the fence a couple of strokes with boys offered him their precious belongings
his brush, Tom looked up and saw that he so that they could get a chance to whitewash
still has to paint the whole of the long fence. the fence. In this way, Tom brought about the
It meant that he hadn’t work for the entire substantial change in his circumstances.
Saturday. This realization discouraged him. c. The task was of whitewashing a nine feet
b. At that moment Jim, the servant at Aunt high fence that stretched thirty yards is being
Polly’s house, came along. He was whistling referred to here. By the time all the boys had
merrily and carrying a tin pail to fetch water a chance of whitewashing the fence, it had
from the town pump. three coats of paint on it.

Life Skills and Values 4. perform:
performance. The brilliant
performance by our goalkeeper enabled us
Think and answer. to reach the final of the tournament without
1. In
the passage, Tom comes out as an extremely conceding any goals.
resourceful and quick thinking boy. He knew how 5. bounty: bountiful. The ocean can provide us
to get out of an unpleasant situation and how to with a bountiful supply of food.
make people covet something that they otherwise 6. beauty: beautiful. The painting was so beautiful
would not have wanted. we could not take our eyes off it.
2. It was Tom’s attitude to his task that made 7. nature: natural. It is always good to use natural
the boys feel that whitewashing that fence was not products.
work but play. Tom pretended to have a lot of fun 8. brilliant: brilliance. The brilliance of the scientist
doing the task and made the boys believe that is known to everyone in the country.
whitewashing a fence was a rare opportunity that 9. help: helpful. Trisha is a helpful girl and always
one should not pass on. willing to help her friends.
3. There are several elements in the story that makes
it a humorous one. Tom’s dismay at having to Grammar in Use
work on a Saturday and how he tried to get out
of it by bribing Jim has elements of humour. The A. 1. My sister and I are watching the football match.
interaction between Ben and Tom is also humorous (me, I)
in how Tom pretends to like something that he 2. There is no way of telling them apart. (them,
actually does not. However, the funniest part is their)
probably where the other boys beg Tom to let 3. Is this car mine? (mine, me) No, this is mine the
them do a job that he has no intention of doing. other one is yours. (your, yours)
Answer Keys
4. The Browns are coming for the party, aren’t
Way with Words they? (them, they)
5. The house on the right is ours. (ours, we)
A. 1. contented: discontented. The workers were
discontented with their salary and demanded 6. We are proud to be part of the school alumni.
for a rise. (We, Us)
2. polite: impolite. You should not be impolite to 7. What are the challenges before us now? (us,
your elders. they)
3. similar: dissimilar. John and his brother are 8. Is that cat his (him, his) or is it hers? (she, hers)
so dissimilar in their looks that people do not B. I was going to leave for Mumbai the following
realize they are twins. day. But I had not packed any of my suitcases as
4. regular: irregular. Tuhin was punished by the yet. I had to be reminded by my friend to take my
teacher because of his irregular attendance school reports, certificates and all my textbooks.
in class. My parents were going to see me off at the airport
5. believe: disbelief. His friends stared at him in but I was going to travel by myself.
disbelief when he told them he had met Lionel
Messi at the airport. Study Skills
6. necessary: unnecessary. You should not spend
1. act:
action, activity, react, enact, actual
all your money buying unnecessary things.
2. comfort: comfortable, comforting, comforter,
7. satisfied: dissatisfied. The teacher was
discomfort
dissatisfied with her project and asked her to
3. port: portable, porter, porting, deport
redo it.
4. prosper: prosperous, prosperity
8. legal: illegal. It is illegal to keep rare species of
birds in cage. 5. fest: festival, festivity, festive
9. honest: dishonest. The dishonest trader 6. cent: century, centurion, centenary, centimetre
cheated his customers whenever he could. 7. real: reality, unreal, realness, realty
8. anim: animation, animated, animal, animosity
B. 1. prevent: preventable. These days, most of the
diseases are easily preventable with a vaccine. 9. good: goodness, goody, goodbye
2. virus: viral. Viral fever does not take too long to 10. micro: microbe, microbial, micromanage
cure but it leaves you feeling very weak.
3. excite: excitable. Our dog is very excitable
and runs all around the room whenever we play
with him.

Listening and Speaking Comprehension
Students can unanimously choose a subject and talk Quick Recap
about things they find difficult in the subject. The
A.
focus should be on finding a solution to the problems
faced by the students in the particular subject. Then,
A B
they can discuss the things that they find interesting in 1. Usman Ali f. bus driver
the same subject.
2. Khushal e. name
of the school
founded by Malala’s
Pen it Down father
The students will have to narrate the story from the 3. Malka-e-Noor b. Malala’s rival in class
point of view of another character in first person. They 4. Zahid Khan g. Malala’s father’s
can be allowed to use dialogues. They can include close friend
the hints provided in the question and write about 5. Jani mun a. soulmate
how they felt while painting the fence. Allow them to
use their creative thinking and write the experience in 6. Moniba d. Malala’s best friend
300-350 words. 7. Sher Mohammad c. finance
minister of
Khan the first ruler of Swat
B. 1. The school was located on the Haji Baba Road.
Johnny miller painting a fence
On one side of the road between Malala’s
I was strolling down the village lane on a fresh house and her school lay a stinking stream. On
Saturday morning when I saw Tom Sawyer watching one side of the road, there was a giant billboard
Billy Fisher busy white washing a fence while Tom for Dr Humayun’s Hair Transplant Institute.
Answer Keys
Sawyer was nibbling an apple and quietly watching 2. In the morning, Malala’s father would try to
him. I asked Billy why he was doing this for Tom and wake her up but she would tell him to let her
he replied that painting a fence was an enjoyable sleep for a few more minutes and burrow
thing to do and he was grateful that Tom had allowed deeper under her quilt. Then, her mother would
him to help. I was now eager to join in his activity call her and she would realize the time. Then
but Tom would not agree to give me the heavy brush she would jump out the bed exclaiming she was
dripping with shiny white paint. Finally, I had to give late for school.
him my dead rat with a piece of string to swing it with 3. Malala’s room was a long one and located at the
as a bribe. Then with great enjoyment I began to front of their house. The room only had a bed
paint the fence. and a cabinet which Malala had bought with the
money she got as an award. The gold coloured
Chapter 10: I am Malala plastic cups she had won for coming first in class
were placed on some of the shelves.
Summary 4. Malala had started taking the bus because her
The story is about the daily life of a young girl in a very mother was scared of her walking on her own.
conservative part of a country and how she experiences They had been getting threats all year. Some
an exceptional incident of violence. This is an extract were in the newspapers and some were notes
from the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai. She lived or messages passed on by people.
in the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan and was very 5.
Malala
went to school for six days a week. At the
vocal against the Taliban efforts to prevent girls from school, she would put her backpack in her class
going to school. The extract tells about the day she and go for morning assembly under the open
was shot by members of the Taliban. sky along with the other girls. She would learn
chemical equations and study Urdu grammar.
Let’s Get Started She would also write stories with morals in
English and draw diagrams of blood circulation.
1. d. 2. a. 3. b. 4. c.
She had friends like Moniba and class rivals like
Malka-e-Noor.
6. The bus was what they called a dyna. It was a
white Toyota Town Ace truck with three parallel
benches, one along either side and one in the
middle. It was cramped with twenty girls and
three teachers.

7. A
young bearded man in light-coloured clothes 3. We lit a fire outside our tent before we went
had stopped the bus. He stepped into the road to sleep.
and waved the van down. He said that he was The people of the locality called the police
accompanied by a journalist who wanted to when they heard someone fire a gun.
interview Malala. 4. My father bought me a new watch for my
8. The man got in and demanded to know who birthday.
Malala was. His question was answered with The guard was ordered to keep a watch on the
mere silence but several of the girls looked at thief while others went to inform the police.
Malala. She was the only girl whose face was 5.
We usually go for a walk in the park in the
not covered. Then the man took out his black evening.
Colt .45 pistol and fired three shots. The first
When we go shopping, most of the times we
went through Malala’s left eye socket and out
have to park our car a long way off and then
under her left shoulder. She slumped forward
walk the rest of the way.
onto Moniba, blood coming from her left ear.
The other two bullets hit the girls next to her. 6. You should take the left turn from here if you
One bullet went into Shazia’s left hand. The want to reach your destination faster.
third went through her left shoulder and into the After I reached school, I realized I had left my
upper right arm of Kainat Riaz. book at home.
7. We heard a shot in the distance at the dead of
Life Skills and Values the night.
The
climax scene of the movie was shot in
Think and answer.
Switzerland.
1. Malala
speaks about the aspirations of young girls B. 1. The footballer scored a goal skilfully.
to become doctors and fashion designers. She
Answer Keys
2. He read the entire letter unhurriedly.
discusses Justin Bieber and Twilight movies with
3. The army fought the enemy fearlessly.
her friends. She talks about her class rivalry with
another girl. These things make her life similar to 4. They donated to a good cause generously.
other people of her age. 5. The tiger growled loudly.
2. Girls do not have much freedom. They are not 6. He examined the signature doubtfully.
easily given access to education. They also have to
live in the fear of the Taliban who were against the Grammar in Use
education of girls. A. Our street could not be reached by car, so coming
3. Malala shows great determination and courage. home I would get off the bus on the road below by
She dares to speak up against the Taliban and make the stream and go through a barred iron gate and
her voice heard by people around the world. She is up a flight of steps. I thought if anyone attacked
practical and mature for her age. She does not want me it would be on those steps. Like my father,
to fight violence with violence but rather wants to I’ve always been a daydreamer, and sometimes in
win over enemies with reasoning and understanding. lessons my mind would drift and I’d imagine that
These qualities make her very special. on the way home a terrorist might jump out and
4. These lines show how selfless Malala is. She shoot me on those steps. I wondered what I would
strongly believes in the education of women and do. Maybe I’d take off my shoes and hit him,
stands up for it even when threatened with grave but then I’d think if I did that there would be no
danger. It also shows her maturity and her ability to difference between me and a terrorist.
understand that the terrorist does not know better B. 1. during 4. over
than to act violently.
2. in 5. in
Way with Words 3. over 6. on
C. 1. The doctor prescribed a medicine for the fever
A. 1. We were going through the forest when we saw and asked the patient to come back after three
a bear. days.
Rajiya had a bad headache and said she could 2. At the end of the day, the shopkeeper locked
not bear the pain any more. the door and went home.
2. When she heard the bad news, she broke out 3. The farmer felt tired after the day’s work, so he
in tears. decided to rest for a while.

Tear a page from your notebook and write this 4. We went to a famous restaurant for dinner
note on it. yesterday and had pizza.

5. I missed my flight in the evening because I woke fell apart and could not sing for the emperor when
up late. he lay on his deathbed. The real nightingale came
6. He would have cleared the exam had he worked back and sang for the emperor and drove Death
hard for it. away from him.
7. The teacher gave an important lecture and the Let’s Get Started
students took notes.
8. I will go to the library tomorrow and borrow a few B Z F M V N F T L F K Z
books.
M M O X B E A T C I C W
Study Skills
M L B J H W K E H L S A
With ai With a With ay With ei
C Y I S Y M E L O D Y O
air fare play beige
stair airfare way caffeine H R A N M Q U Y I K Z R
chair dare day their A I N M N F R N R S N H
despair beware lay heiress
R C G T Y U F L P E T Y
Listening and Speaking M S C M B A L L A D U T
1. Grief-stricken O C H O R U S R X P N H
2. Her mother liked her pen name ‘Gul Makai’ and N D U E T R R J I N E M
Malala liked it more than her real name which meant
Answer Keys
‘grief-stricken’. Y M A S E O T P Q N W D
3. Malala’s friends were discussing their homework.
N P I X X W O B F J N H
4. It was the last day of school before winter vacation
began and there was no information as to when the beat, melody, ballad, chorus, choir, duet, tune,
school would reopen. rhythm, harmony, hymn
5. He smiled and felt proud but could not tell anyone
that it was written by his daughter.
Comprehension
Pen it Down Quick Recap
There has to be a preparatory class on the issue of A. 1. China 5. diamonds,
rubies,
education for girls. The questions that are to be answered 2. porcelain sapphires
in the factual essay must be discussed through that 6. once
3. wood
class. The teacher can always show them some video
4. Twelve 7. Death
clips on people like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Raja
Rammohan Roy who championed women’s education. B. 1. a. The nightingale which lived in a forest near
Students should research on the topic properly and write the emperor’s palace is being referred to as
the essay in around 500 words. ‘she’ in the quoted lines.
b. Many travellers went to see the emperor’s
city. They heard the song of the nightingale
Chapter 11: The Nightingale when they went to the forest and wrote
Summary about it in their books. The emperor read
about the bird in one such book.
The theme of this story is how technology and gadgets c. The nightingale was found in the wood. A
can never replace treasures of Nature. The story is poor girl who worked in the palace kitchen
about the emperor of China and a nightingale which helped in locating the bird.
lived in a forest near the emperor’s palace. When he d. The nightingale’s song reminded the poor girl of
listened to its song for the first time, he was deeply her mother’s kiss and this would make her cry.
moved and ordered the bird to stay in his court and
2. a. The nightingale’s song sounded the sweetest
sing for him. Later, he got a mechanical bird and soon
in the woods because that was where it
forgot all about the real nightingale, which flew back
was meant to be sung. The bird is a part of
to the woods. After many years, the mechanical bird

nature and it is in the midst of nature that its good man, but did not realize the significance of
song sounds the best. the simple joy of listening to a real nightingale’s
b. The palace was elegantly decorated for the song. He was led astray by the glamour of the
performance of the nightingale. The whole artificial bird. However, he realized his mistake
court was present and at the centre of the and was grateful to the nightingale for what it
great hall, a golden perch had been fixed for had done.
the bird to sit on and sing. 3. The story conveys the message that we should
c. The emperor was so delighted that he not be blinded by the glitz and glamour of
declared the nightingale should have his the world. We should understand what is real
gold slipper to wear round her neck. The and gives permanent joy, and what is superficial
nightingale replied that she had been and gives momentary pleasure. The message is
sufficiently rewarded already when the even more important in today’s world because of
emperor cried after listening to her song. all the distractions we have around us.
3. a. The real nightingale had left the kingdom
because the mechanical bird sang alone Way with Words
and was as successful as her. Besides, it A. 1. refused 4. unfortunate
was much prettier to look at. It could sing
2. rewarded 5. descent
continuously without getting tired. When no
3. fallen
one took notice of it anymore, the real bird
left the court. The mechanical bird took its B.
1. extended a. covered a particular area
place. It sang the waltz.
2. learned b. highly educated
b. The artificial bird was covered with
diamonds, rubies and sapphires. When 3. hark c. listen
Answer Keys
it was wound up, it would sing like a real 4. duet a. a song sung by two people
nightingale while its tail would move up 5. scarcely b. only just
and down and sparkle with silver and
gold. It had a ribbon around its neck on 6. banished a. ordered to leave
which was written, ‘The Emperor of China’s
nightingale is poor compared to that of the
Grammar in Use
Emperor of Japan’s.’ A.
1. She ate her lunch and then slept for three hours.
c. When the emperor was lying on his deathbed, 2. They dance at the inaugural ceremony.
all around the bed were a number of strange 3. He will swim across the river in no time.
and ugly heads. These were the emperor’s
4. We went for the picnic as it did not rain.
good and bad deeds, which stared him in the
face and reminded him of his past. 5. Samuel is going to visit his grandfather today.
d. The nightingale sang of a beautiful garden B. 1. Shyam hardly pays any attention in class
and Death was reminded of his own garden. nowadays. (pay)
He left the emperor’s bedside and went to 2. It is going to be a long and hard summer. (go)
visit his garden. In this way, the nightingale 3. The boys are playing in the field all morning.
charmed away the evil faces from the king’s (play)
bed and banished Death from his heart with 4. My father is (be) an engineer. He is working
her sweet song. (work) on a plan for a new bridge.
5. The students are appearing (appear) for the
Life Skills and Values board examinations next year.
Think and answer. 6. It was raining heavily when the last train for the
day entered the station. (rain)
1. The
song of a nightingale can never be replicated 7. Many cyclones will go hit the coastal areas. (go)
by the sound from a mechanical toy because the
most important element missing is the soul of the Study Skills
singer. The soul or spirit of the singer adds a special
touch to any song and that was what was missing in This exercise can be done in the form of a game.
the artificial bird’s song. 1. The teacher will divide the class into partners or
groups. Each team will receive a dictionary that is
different from any other team.
2. The
nightingale was a free spirit. It was humble,
selfless and loving. The emperor was essentially a 2. They will then be allowed to look up the
guidewords within a time limit.

3. Upon
completion, the teacher will briefly review the Let’s Get Started
answers and make necessary clarifications.
4. The exercise can be continued with the teams Suggested dialogues
swapping dictionaries. PANEL 1- (invisible cat)- Oh no, Polo has smelt me out-
that annoying brat!
The guidewords will vary depending on the dictionary
used. Tony- Polo! What is the matter with you? Why are
you barking at a bush?
Listening and Speaking PANEL 2- CAT- (pretending)- Oh Lord Polo, I seek
refuge with you. Please do not harm me.
Free response. Accept all valid answers.
POLO (melting)- Aww- you submitted to my power-
Pen it Down that was cute!
Students can write about how they want to spend Tony- Why is Polo suddenly so gentle with the Cat?
their time and their reason for choosing that particular PANEL 3- CAT- Hah! Fooled ya! See you around when I
option. They can talk about what aspect of the activity tell the others how I fooled ya!
makes it appealing to them. Allow them to use their POLO- (furiously chasing)- You imposter! Come back
imagination and write the essay in about 500 words. here, you!
Tony- Polo! Wait! You know she did this to you 3
Sample answer. Accept all valid answers. times last week already!!!
Most people spend their leisure time glued to their Humour in the comic strip
mobile phone or laptop screens. While technology PANEL 1- The dialogues make it funny, as does the
has many benefits and can make our lives easier and puzzled look on the boy’s face.
more efficient it can also harm us by keeping us away PANEL 2- Along with the dialogues, the unexpected
from the outdoors. Spending time in nature is very behaviour of both the cat and dog are also funny.
Answer Keys
important as the beauty of a river or a mountain is far Incongruous behaviour makes it funny.
more enjoyable than the excitement of watching a PANEL 3- The physical comedy – the dog chasing the
movie or playing a video game. Nature refreshes us cat along with the dialogues make it funny.
and reminds us that our problems and anxieties can
be solved. I remember when I has lost my final match Comprehension
in an important tennis tournament, I was upset and
Quick Recap
angry with myself. My mother insisted we take a quick
weekend break to a nearby beach. I agreed to go and A. 1. Belinda had four pets.
spent the evening watching the waves. The continuous 2. The pets jokingly called Custard Percival.
ebb and flow made me realize that failure and success
3. The pirate held two pistols in his hands.
were part of life and I should not be too upset at one
4. Custard ate the pirate.
incident.
5. Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears, is an
example of a simile.
Chapter 12: The Tale of Custard the Dragon 6. Ink and Blink are described in the poem as rude.
7. Mustard was a dog who is described as sharp.
Summary
B. 1. a. Custard the dragon is being described here.
The theme of this charming poem by Ogden Nash b. Custard had big sharp teeth, and spikes on his
redefines bravery. The central protagonist is a dragon back and scales beneath.
called Custard who is ridiculed by the other pets in c. Custard was a timid dragon. He was always
Belinda’s house for being timid and always wanting a crying and asking for a nice safe cage.
‘nice safe cage.’ The pet mouse and dog make fun of 2. a. She paled and cried for help as they had been
Custard endlessly but the tables are turned when a real attacked by a vicious pirate who had climbed
pirate attacks them one day. It is Custard who saves in from the window.
the day, unlike the others who run away in cowardice.
b. Mustard the dog ran with a yelp. Ink the kitten
But the poem ends on a hilarious note when even after
ran to hide at the basement while Blink the
displaying such bravery in tackling the pirate, Custard
mouse hid in its mouse hole.
persists in his demand for a ‘nice safe cage’.
c. The two pets had always ridiculed Custard
for being cowardly. But their cowardice came
to surface when they were faced by an actual
threat. Custard rose to the occasion bravely
and saved everyone.

3. a. Custard was embraced by Belinda. 2. Main
clause: This house will be sold, Subordinate
b. Mustard licked him, Ink and Blink danced clause: which was built by the old landlord
around Custard in celebration. 3. Main clause: He did not come for football
c. Custard had fought off the pirate and eaten practice, Subordinate clause: because he was sick
him up. He had saved everyone’s lives. 4. Main clause: [It] is a known fact, Subordinate
clause: That she is a sincere student
Life Skills and Values 5.
Main
clause: The doctor arrived, Subordinate
Think and answer. clause: after the patient was taken to the hospital
1. Custard
is a soft-hearted timid dragon. Though Study Skills
he looked ferocious like a dragon would, he was
1. seperate 5. untill 9. definnite
actually a very mild-mannered creature. He was
however extremely brave to fight off the pirate to 2. intellegence 6. maintanence 10. collumn
save the others. 3. jewelary 7. occassionally
2. The central message of the poem is that we should 4. beleive 8. existance
not judge others by their appearance or initial
impressions. People can often surprise us, and Listening and Speaking
even the ones who seem timid, can perform brave
Free response. Accept all answers. Students can use
deeds in difficult situations.
the following points to tell the story:
3. The comic irony of Custard being a dragon and
yet so frightened; the comic reactions of the Points to remember:
pets when they saw the pirate, and the return of • Mention the place and other necessary details
Custard to his former soft hearted self after killing • Begin with your current state of mind and then go
Answer Keys
the pirate- all these make the poem humorous. back to describe what happened
4. Some of the lines are repeated to provide rhythm
• How did the experience make you feel?
and to also emphasize the humour in the poem.
• Use adjectives to describe the situation
5. The pirate could have been actually a fairy
godmother in disguise who had come to prove to • Build suspense
the others how brave Custard was in reality. You can begin like this:
Everyone has always called me a coward. It is true
Way with Words I have always been scared of unknown noises and
sights, but I always felt that when it was necessary, I
A. 1. His toes were as sharp as a knife.
could find courage within myself.
2. The kitten is compared to the liquid, rain, that
trickles down the side of the house. The action The day I faced the pirate was a test for me …
of the cat is as if it is made of liquid.
Pen it Down
3. My grandfather is a loving and generous man.
4. I enjoy studying and my books take my mind to Structure your essay like a story. Name your
wonderful places. characters, mention where they meet. Give the
5. My nephew is very mischievous. characters names. Choose a tense and keep it
consistent. Add dialogue. Don’t just explain what
B. 1. Clatter 3. Creak 5. Crack
happened, show the action. Make your conclusion
2. Wheeze 4. Cooed satisfying.
C. 1. mortal: others are supernatural.
2. fear: others relate to the senses.
3. boots: others are kinds of crockery Sir Bravo was a knight of great renown. He was known
for his quick wits and excellent swordplay. But even
4. breaks: other relate to a specific sound.
the best of warriors can face impossible situations.
5. stairs: others are rooms in a house. On a journey through the Midlands, Sir Bravo had an
unusual experience. He was tried after long day riding
Grammar in Use
through the moors and took shelter in a dry cave.
A. 1. phrase 3. clause 5. clause Just as he tried to gather some wood for a fire the
2. clause 4. phrase 6. phrase cave lit up in brilliant colours. Sword in hand he cried
Show yourself! Who carries such a magnificent light
B. 1. Main clause: Old Mother Hubbard walked, with him? The response was deafening roar and from
Subordinate clause: as if she was in great pain the dark corners appeared Malefide a dragon known

though legends as terrifying and merciless. Sir Bravo Comprehension
faced the creature and with a deeply respectful tone
remarked O mighty One! I am truly honoured to be Quick Recap
in your presence. Will you accept my humble offering A. 1. True 4. True 7. True
of friendship? Never had the dragon been asked such 2. False 5. False
a question. For ages it had suffered loneliness in the
3. False 6. False
cave and now a brave man dared to stand unafraid in
front of its might. Malefide wanted a live outside the B. 1. a. The person referred to in these lines is
cave and decided that this knight would be the right Bruno.
companion for him. b. At Out-With, Bruno did not have anyone
to play with. He was by himself. He did not
Thus began an unusual friendship between a brave
have to go to school, but had a private tutor
man and a magnificent creature.
who came to his home. He was ordered
not to go exploring and never to go on the
other side of the fence that separated his
Chapter 13: Bruno Goes Exploring
house from the camp.
Summary c. Bruno jumped off his bed and rummaged
in his wardrobe for an overcoat and an old
The theme of this story is witnessing a difficult period
pair of boots. It was the kind of clothes he
in history through the eyes of a young boy. This is
thought a real explorer might wear. Once he
an extract from the book, The Boy in the Striped
was dressed, he prepared to leave the house.
Pyjamas. Bruno is a little boy whose family has shifted
home from Berlin to the countryside. Bruno does 2. a. The quoted lines refer to the two groups of
not have any friend there and feels lonely. He no people whom Bruno saw at Out-With. One
was the group of people who lived in the
Answer Keys
longer goes to school but has a private tutor to teach

him his lessons. He often sees the people of the camp and wore the same clothes, the same
concentration camp through his window but cannot pyjamas and striped cloth caps. The other
understand why they are there or why they behave one was the group of people who wandered
in the way they do. One day, when the house was through Bruno’s house. They wore uniforms
empty, he decides to go exploring, disobeying the with bright red-and-black armbands and
strict orders of his parents. carried guns and always looked terribly stern.
b. The people on the other side of the fence all
jumped to attention whenever the people
Let’s Get Started from Bruno’s side approached. Sometimes
World War II (1939 – 1945) was a time of great they fell to the ground and sometimes they
suffering. Six million Jews from Europe were didn’t even get up and had to be carried
murdered. This event is known as the Holocaust. Jews away instead.
were forced to live in concentration camps under c. The pyjama people were the Jews at the
inhuman conditions. They died here and were buried concentration camp in Auschwitz. The
in mass graves. The most notorious of these camps people in uniform were the Nazi soldiers
was Auschwitz. The man behind these concentration and officers.
camps was Adolf Hitler. He was the Chancellor of 3. a. Bruno touched a small bronze plaque. It was
Germany from 1933 to 1945 and the leader of the located on a bench just outside the fence
Nazi party. surrounding the camp.
b. The inscription on the plaque was,
The Nazis believed that all ‘non-Aryan’ people should
‘Presented on the occasion of the opening
be removed from the country. Hitler wanted all ethnic
of Out-With Camp, June nineteen
Germans to unite under one nation. He used this
forty.’ It actually marked the date of the
idea as an excuse to invade Poland, Austria and many
inauguration of one of the most infamous
other countries, which he believed should be united
concentration camps of the Nazi era, the
with Germany. He considered the Jewish people to
Auschwitz Camp.
be an inferior race and blamed them for the problems
that Germany faced after its loss in World War I. c. At the beginning of his journey, Bruno tried
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was not to think about the countless occasions
inaugurated in 1993 to honour these victims of the when he was told by both his parents that
war. The museum has recorded the events of the he was not allowed to walk anywhere near
Holocaust, so that they are never repeated, and to the fence or the camp. He particularly tried
spread the message of peace. to forget the warning that exploration was
banned at Out-With, without any exceptions.

Life Skills and Values 3. By this time next year, I will have been selling
books for 10 years.
Think and answer.
4. He has been playing football all day ever since
1. This
phrase has been capitalized to emphasize the his summer vacations began.
strict restrictions imposed upon the curious little 5. She has been living in Japan for quite some
boy, Bruno, by his parents, who did not want him time now.
to see certain things that happened at the camp. 6. As far back as I can remember, my grandfather
2. Bruno was a curious little boy. He loved to explore always has been waking up at 5 in the morning.
and find out things for himself. He was a keen 7. The teacher will have completed the maths
observer and had an inquisitive mind. syllabus by next week.
8. She will have read through the letter and will do
Way with Words what it says.
A. 1. occasion: event. On the occasion of our school’s
Study Skills
fiftieth foundation day, the retired teachers were
presented with mementos. ‘x’ as in ‘x’ as in ‘x’ as in
occasional: something done irregularly. He explorer exist xylophone
wrote occasional poems for his own amusement.
exterior example Xerox
2. imaginary: something that is not true.
Texas exam xenon
Whenever John is late for school, he comes up
mix exact xenia
with some imaginary incident to explain it.
extract
imaginative: someone with a strong imagination.
fix
My younger brother is very imaginative and
hex
often makes up situations in his head.
Answer Keys
3. beside: by the side of. I usually keep a glass of
water on the table beside my bed. Listening and Speaking
besides: in addition to. Besides English and
History, Maths is my favourite subject. This exercise will help in improving the communication
4. climatic: related to climate. The global climatic skills of the students. Students can talk about how
changes are responsible for untimely floods and Bruno’s parents will be angry and scold him for breaking
rainfalls. his promise. They can talk about punishing him. Bruno
can talk about why he went exploring, apologize to his
climactic: that which acts as the culmination to
parents and promise not to do it again.
a number of events. The climactic scene of the
movie was an action-packed one.
5. disinterested: impartial. As a lawyer, you Pen it Down
should give disinterested advice to your client.
This writing exercise has to be preceded by a
uninterested: not interested. He is uninterested
thorough introduction to the World Wars and the
in sports and finds it boring.
destruction they caused. There has to be sharing
B. 1. take a chance 4. realised my mistake of the feedback of the students on why wars are
2. make a difference 5. kept her promise evil. Students should do a thorough research on
3. committed a crime the topic and write the paragraphs in around
400 words.
Grammar in Use
A. 1. Childhood 4. memory
Why do we fight wars? The usual answer is that we
2. remembrance 5. appearance
take up arms to protect ourselves from our enemy.
3. investigation
Our enemy is therefore anyone who is different from
B. 2. housefly 5. overthrow us, lives in a different land and speaks in a different
3. benchmark 6. campfire language. This difference makes us afraid and so we
4. mind-set harm one another. War result in a loss of lives and
property to both sides and the eventual victory is
C. 1. Have you finished your breakfast yet? We have claimed by the side who has suffered fewer losses.
to leave for school immediately. This rarely solves any problems, and the loser is
2. Mary have been going to school with her arm in filled with anger and a determination to strike again
a sling since her accident. after gaining strength.

The only solution is in understanding our Let’s Get Started
differences and extending a hand of cooperation
and friendship. If we do not learn to coexist, we Sustainable Description
will all suffer. Wars are evil because they force us to energy source
make merciless and cruel decisions that will finally 1. solar energy c. use of the heat and light of the
harm all of us. sun to generate power
2. wind energy e. electrical energy from
Research and Write harnessing the wind with
windmills
A. Students can write about how Aunt Poly did not 3. geothermal d. use of the heat energy stored in
believe Tom at first, what her reaction was when energy the Earth to generate power
she actually saw the fence painted, and how Tom
4. bio energy a. use of biomass (material from
was rewarded for getting the job done.
living organisms) to generate
B.
Students can write the poem on any animal, bird,
power
fish or insect of their choice. The poem should
include details about the organism, why the 5. hydroelectric b. use of moving water to
student has chosen it and what lesson he/she has energy generate power
learnt from it.
C. Free response. Accept all valid responses. Comprehension
Encourage students to integrate SDG 16 into their Quick Recap
answer.
D. 1. He whacked the cricket ball to the boundary. hit A.
2. G
argling with salt water helps to soothe a sore William Kamkwamba When William was
Answer Keys
throat. wash one’s mouth with liquid grew up in Malawi, 13, he started taking
3. The police car came to a halt with a screeching Africa. apart old and broken
of brakes. make a loud noise radios.
4. Everyone groaned with disappointment on
hearing the results of the match. sighed
After the floods, a In December 2000,
5. My pet bird tweets loudly when she sees me. period of drought everything went
makes a noise cursed the land. wrong.
1. rustling c. an animal hiding in the bushes
2. sploshing a. a child walking through a puddle
3. trickling b. water flowing in a small stream By the time the But this didn’t
4. pop e. a small, sudden explosion famine ended, discourage William,
5. tinkling d. a bell on a cat William’s dream of who started
studying to be a borrowing books
scientist had come from the library at his
Chapter 14: Building a Windmill to a halt. local primary school
Summary to teach himself
what he was missing
This graphic story is built around the inspiring story of in class.
William Kamkwamba, a 12-year-old boy from Malawi,
Africa. It is themed on his story of perseverance to
invent all on his own, a windmill that would generate William built a small William wanted to
electricity. William had to face many difficulties model first using build a windmill so
like natural calamities in his village, poverty and throwaway items that they could have
deprivation of facilities like education. Yet he forged that he found in his lights, their fields
on and created a windmill that generated electricity house. would be irrigated,
which would be used for lighting up his village as well and they could
as pump water to irrigate their fields. harvest twice a year,
and he wouldn’t miss
school anymore.

Then, William William’s friend
started building Gilbert helped him
a bigger windmill by giving him some Think and answer.
using parts from kwacha to buy a
1. William was
old tractors and dynamo and buying
groundnut grinding him nuts and bolts a. thoughtful: because he wished to help his
machines from a and PVC pipes. family by improving their income
scrapyard. b. intelligent: because he continued his studies on
his own even when he couldn’t attend school
c. hardworking: because he studied attentively in
William connected Although William school and also helped his father farm maize.
a bulb to the almost faced failure d. innovative: because he was successfully able to
windmill. When when the bicycle build a windmill with very limited resources.
the wind began to chain snapped 2. Gilbert
gave his money to William to encourage and
blow, the blades in half and the support his friend in his good deed of building a
began to spin. The windmill’s pole windmill that would benefit the whole village. From
bulb flickered. Then nearly tipped over the story, it is clear that it was a selfless and strong
there was a surge of during a test run, friendship. The friends helped each other, Gilbert
bright, magnificent after three days, the was generous, and William was grateful to him.
light. windmill was ready. 3. The phrase means that the windmill would protect
them from hunger by ensuring they have enough
B. 1. a. William is the speaker. He is speaking to a
to eat all year round. The figure of speech used is
family friend who has just gotten down from
a metaphor because the words ‘as’ and ‘like’ have
his bicycle.
Answer Keys
not been used to compare the windmill to a shield.
b. The bicycle lamp is being referred to here. It is a direct comparison.
c. The dynamo had stopped when the family
friend stopped pedalling. This had made the Way with Words
lamp go off.
A. 1. William cobbled together his windmill using
2. a. A woman in the market said this to another
throwaway items from his house and the
woman, possibly William’s mother.
scrapyard.
b. They were all hungry because the famine
2. My grandfather’s library is a treasure trove for
and floods started taking a toll. The price
those who enjoy science fiction.
of maize shot up, and corrupt government
officials sold off the surplus grain to another 3. The pandemic has taken a toll on the mental
country for profit. People only had maize health of people in quarantine.
husks to eat, which was usually used as 4. The boy has a habit of tinkering with his set of
chicken feed. building blocks.
c. She said that to mean that everyone was 5. The child took apart the house made from Lego
suffering equally, and no one could claim to bricks and built a car in its place.
get benefits at the cost of others. It didn’t 6. We skipped dinner and rushed to catch the film.
matter if someone had arrived first in the 7. Children from poor families are more likely to
market, they were all hungry so whoever drop out of school due to lack of resources.
could get to the food first would claim it for B. 1. law 4. fact
themselves. 2. experiments 5. evolution
3. a. William said this to his father. 3. organism 6. technology
b. His father said that perhaps William was right
in trying to build a windmill and solve their Grammar in Use
problems. But he also warned William not to
mess it up and make the situation worse. A. 1. The trees were uprooted in the storm.
Passive voice
c. The plan was to build a windmill. He wished
The storm uprooted the trees.
to use his father’s broken bicycle frame as
2. Mary read out the letter in class.
the body of the windmill. He planned to find
Active voice
the other parts somehow. He got the money
The letter was read in class by Mary.
partly from his friend Gilbert, and also by
3. She teaches us English.
working as a hired labourer.
Active voice
English is taught to us by her.

4. The
dog was given a bath by the young boy. Sample answer. Please accept all valid answers.
Passive voice
The young boy gave the dog a bath. Winds of Change
5. The computer was switched off by the student. Malawi, 5th October 2000.
Passive voice A little village in Malawi is home to a young boy who
The student switched off the computer. has shown the world that no obstacle can stand in
6. The scientist was amazed by the strength of the the way of grit and extraordinary intelligence. William
robot he had created. Kamkwamba a poor farmer s son could not go to
Passive voice school but taught himself how cars worked and how
The strength of the robot he has created radios were operated. He learnt how dynamos worked
amazed the scientist. and the idea of making his own electricity took shape
7. The emperor ordered his minister to bring him in his mind. However circumstances were against him
the magical tree. as floods droughts and a cholera outbreak pushed to
Active voice family to extreme poverty and William could not go to
The minister was ordered by the emperor to school. He decided to take books from the public library
bring him the magical tree. and soon knew enough to build a small model windmill.
8. We were prevented from entering the garden Material from the local scrapyard and his father’s broken
by the guard. bicycle frame were used William even took up a job
Passive voice to earn enough money to buy a generator. With the
The guard prevented us from entering the help of a generous friend the windmill was finally ready
garden. and William’s dream of bringing relief to his small
B. 1. Would you like tea or coffee? community came through when electric light flooded
2. I won’t buy the belt as it is too expensive. the village.
3. Heena loves baking and cooking. William is truly a hero whose efforts are an inspiration to
Answer Keys
all those who face great adversity but never give up.
4. I haven’t met my grandmother this year, so I
came to see her. C. Achebi
5. The train was late, but I missed it. Special Correspondent
6. I wanted to go home as I was exhausted.
7. Joe has never played chess, yet he does not Chapter 15: Peter of Haarlem
want to learn. Summary
Study Skills The theme of this story is how each of us have the
power to make a difference. The story is about a little
A. 1. stood 3. plough 5. glass boy named Peter who lived in the Dutch town of
2. grow 4. mall Haarlem. One evening, while returning home, Peter
noticed that water was leaking in through a dyke. He
Listening and Speaking knew that if it was not stopped immediately, the entire
Points to keep in mind during a group discussion: town would be flooded. He put his finger in the hole
in the wall to stop the water flow and stayed that way
• work out a list of the order of speakers
the whole night to ensure that Haarlem remained safe.
• do not allow interruptions
In the morning, the townsmen found him and realized
• criticise and question ideas not individuals how his bravery had saved their lives.
• allocate time for responses
• arrange a session for quiet reflection on the ideas
discussed.
Let’s Get Started
On Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October, in 1957, India’s first
Pen it Down Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was watching a
performance at the historic Red Fort in Delhi. During
Points to remember:
the performance, a short circuit caused a raging fire
• give a heading to your report to break out in one of the temporary tents. Harish
• use paragraphs and linkers Chandra Mehra, a 14-year-old boy scout, promptly
• use the passive voice took out his penknife and ripped open the burning
• use direct speech for comments of the people tent. He ended up saving the lives of hundreds of
interviewed trapped people. This incident inspired Nehru to ask
• avoid giving your own opinion the government to establish an award that honours
• be formal in tone brave children from all over the country.

Comprehension town.
c. As Peter sat with his finger inside the hole in
Quick Recap
the dyke, it became cold and dark as night
A. 1. Peter lived with his parents in the town of fell. He could hear all sorts of unknown and
Haarlem, in Holland. strange sounds. It seemed to him that giants
2. Peter’s father was a sluicer. He ensured that the and demons were lurking nearby and would
water channels of the dyke remained clean and attack him any moment. The finger that he
the dyke was protected. had put inside the hole was also hurting very
3. Peter’s mother would often fall ill. She was an badly.
invalid and this prevented her from going out of d. Peter remembered what he had been taught
the house. by his mother and prayed to God who
4. A slender thread of water trickling through the could control the surging sea and protect
grass caught Peter’s eyes. He realized that it a boy who was doing his best. Peter was
was water leaking in through the walls of the only a child, but he prayed sincerely. When
dyke. This made him realize the threat to his his prayer was said, he felt braver, stronger
town. and more mature than before, and in his
heart he decided that he would not give up
5. In the morning, Peter was found by a priest
till the morning. In this way, Peter kept his
who had spent his night by the bedside of a
spirits up.
sick person. He was hurrying towards his home
when he saw Peter. Life Skills and Values
B. 1. a. The boy is Peter. Peter had eaten cakes his
Think and answer.
mother made for him because he was fond
of them.
Answer Keys
1. Peter
was a brave boy to have taken such a risk.
b. He was taking with him those cakes which had He did not think of his own safety but did what
not been eaten. He was carrying the cakes in was necessary to save his town from destruction.
a basket and taking it as a present for the old This showed he was courageous and mature
man. beyond his years.
c. Peter knew that his gift would make the 2. Peter was helpful, reliable, responsible, brave,
poor old man happy. The thought of making selfless, caring and generous. He was God-fearing
someone happy filled Peter’s heart with joy. and put the interest of others before his own.
2. a.
Peter of Haarlem is being referred to as ‘he’.
Peter had promised his father that he would Way with Words
not stay out late and would return from the
A.
house of his friend, the poor old man, in time. Idioms Meanings
b. The trickling stream of water came from the 1. have
a finger in f. to
be involved in too
dyke that separated Haarlem from the sea. every pie many activities
It showed that there was a hole in the dyke 2. to
be all fingers e. to
be clumsy and do
through which water was leaking in. If the and thumbs things incorrectly
water flow was not stopped, the entire town
would be flooded. This made the trickling 3. have
one’s finger d. to
be constantly
water extremely significant. on the pulse aware of the most
c. This line suggests that a sense of recent events or
responsibility and selflessness made the little developments
boy turn back and go to the trickling water 4. work
one’s fingers g. to
work extremely
to help prevent a disaster. to the bone hard, especially for
3. a. At that moment, Peter was at the dyke with a long time
his finger thrust inside the hole in the wall 5. to
have sticky a. have
a tendency to
from which water was trickling in. He had fingers steal
reached there by climbing up the steep 6. slip
through one’s b. lose
an opportunity
bank, one stone at a time. fingers through carelessness
b. Peter decided that he would not take out his or not making an
finger from the hole in the dyke until someone effort
came to relieve him and inform the rest of the
7. to
burn one’s c. to
suffer unpleasant
fingers results of an action,
especially the loss
of money

Grammar in Use a large wave. Everyone panicked as no one knew how
to swim and my brother was too panic stricken to help
A. 1. herself 5. yourself himself. An idea came to me. I asked my five family
2. themselves 6. myself members to from a human chain and we quickly held
3. himself 7. itself each other’s hand in a long row and the tallest person
4. ourselves 8. themselves approached the large waves which were threatening
B. 1. Nobody 4. Many my brother. We all managed to pull him to safety and
I was praised by everyone thinking cleverly and acting
2. something 5. somewhere
promptly in an emergency.
3. Everyone 6. any
C. 1. She was packing the clothes very slowly.-
Chapter 16: A Visit from St Nicholas
ADVERB PHRASE
2. She had the most interesting story to tell. Summary
ADJECTIVE PHRASE
The theme of this poem is various myths surrounding
3. The lady with the tablet in her hand is the CEO
Santa Claus and giving of gifts. The poem is about
of the company. NOUN PHRASE
the night before Christmas when Santa Claus visits
4. Helen was a queen of great beauty. ADJECTIVE all the houses and leaves gifts for children. The poet
PHRASE saw Santa Claus as he arrived in his sledge drawn by
5. Phillip ran as quickly as possible. ADVERB reindeers. The poem describes Santa’s appearance,
PHRASE his sledge, the reindeers drawing it and how Santa
6. The probability of an alien attack is highly enters the houses.
unlikely. NOUN PHRASE
Study Skills Let’s Get Started

Answer Keys
1. beside
4. imaginative 1. Using old newspapers to wrap gifts and adding
colourful patterns to make them look interesting. ✓
2. headline 5. requesting
2. Buying a huge roll of expensive wrapping paper and
3. sensitive
using it to wrap gifts for the entire year. ✗
Listening and Speaking 3. Carefully unwrapping gifts, ironing the paper and
saving it to be reused later. ✓
This is to be done as a group activity. The student 4. Asking shopkeepers to wrap gifts with paper that is
playing the Mayor can praise Peter for his bravery and offered free of cost. ✗
inform the journalists about how Peter had saved the 5. Being creative and using fabric scraps, leftover
town. The student playing Peter can tell the journalists paper from projects, old gift bags and other recycled
about what his thoughts were and why he decided material to wrap gifts. ✓
to stay at the dyke instead of going back to inform
others. The journalists can ask questions about Peter, Comprehension
his life and his act of bravery.
Quick Recap
Pen it Down A. 1. chimney

2. miniature, tiny reindeer
3. to the housetop with the sleigh full of toys
Saving someone’s life
4. stump of a pipe
Yesterday was the happiest day of my life. The day
5. a bowl full of jelly
was unusually hot and my family and I were looking
forward to spending a peaceful day on the beach. B. 1. It was late at night. Everyone was in bed. There
My little cousin was excited about his new spade was no movement in the house. Not even a
and bucket and wanted me to help him build a mouse moved. The children were sleeping in
sand castle. We reached the beach and lay down their bed, dreaming of Christmas gifts. The poet
on the warm sand. I was tired and did not pay much and his wife had also settled down for a long nap.
attention to my brother’s demand to play with him. 2. There was a noisy clattering sound in the poet’s
Suddenly the skies began to darken and a strong wind lawn. This woke him up with a start.
made the waves of the sea seem bigger and more 3. The visitor’s vehicle, a tiny sledge, moved from
powerful. I heard a piercing scream. It was my aunt. place to place being pulled by tiny reindeers.
My little brother had been making his castle at he The reindeers moved faster than eagles and
edge of the beach and now suddenly was engulfed in carried the sledge wherever Santa Claus
wanted to go.

4. The
visitor, St. Nicholas, was dressed in fur from project.
head to foot. His clothes were covered in soot and 4. These are the gardens that belong to the
ashes. On his back, he carried a bundle of toys and nobleman.
looked like a pedlar about to open his pack. He 5. About whom are you speaking?
had twinkling eyes and dimpled, red cheeks and 6. Those are my newly planted gardenias.
a cherry-red nose. His face was covered in white
7. To whom do these kittens belong?
beard and he held a pipe between his teeth. His
face was broad and he had a round belly which 8. Whose is the car that is honking so loudly?
wobbled like jelly. He was plump and chubby and B. 1. Every day the crow came for food and for water.
looked like an elf. 2. Neither did we study the chapter nor did we
5. A wink from St. Nicholas and a twist of his head clarify our doubts.
reassured the poet that he had nothing to fear 3. Not only did Tansen light fire with just his voice,
from him. but he also melted stone with it.
6. The simile ‘Away to the window I fly like a flash’ 4. The man was not allowed to drive because he
means the poet moved to the window as fast had been caught without a license.
as a flash of lightning travels from one place to 5. As the cat is away, the mice will play.
another. The simile ‘he looked like a pedlar just 6. It is not clear whether he will win the elections
opening his pack’ means Santa Claus carrying his this term.
bundle of toys looked like a travelling salesman
who was about to pen his pack and take out his Study Skills
wares.
Word Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
7. Touching the side of the nose with a finger is a
gesture to ask someone to keep a secret. Here, heads ✓ ✓
Answer Keys
Santa Claus is asking the poet to keep his secret matter ✓ ✓
and not tell others about what he had seen. leaves ✓ ✓
Life Skills and Values top ✓ ✓ ✓
Think and answer. mount ✓ ✓
1. The
poem has been written from the perspective of Listening and Speaking
the father of the children. The events in the poem
are described by an adult and usually adults do not Students can talk about good behaviour, honesty,
believe in Santa Claus. So, a poem which narrates truthfulness, etc. as qualities that make a person
the experiences of an adult who meets Santa Claus good. They can speak either for or against the notion
makes the poem special. that only good children deserve gifts. Those speaking
2. Santa Claus is a lovable, jolly old man who is full for the notion can talk about how good behaviour
of fun and joy. He is generous and lively. Joy, deserves to be rewarded and ill behaviour should be
togetherness and selfless giving are some of the punished. Those speaking against the notion can talk
feelings associated with Christmas. about how children are naughty by nature and should
3. The poet discusses the decorations put up, the dreams not be punished for that.
of the children about Christmas goodies, the suspense
connected with the visit of Santa Claus and the filling Pen it Down
up of stockings with presents. In the poem, all these Students will write the account from Santa Claus’ point
create the atmosphere of excitement associated with of view. Humour is a key element in this type of writing.
the night before Christmas. They should be encouraged to use different kinds
Way with Words of humour in their writing. Allow them to use their
imagination and write the account within 500 words.
A. 1. turkey 3. chimney 5. Blitzer
2. tinsel 4.
Boxing Day 6. Nativity
Chapter 17: In the Rue Bel Tesoro – I
Grammar in Use
Summary
A. 1. This is my car.
The theme of this play is what people caught in the
2. That is the house that belonged to Shakespeare. middle of a war go through. This is the first part of
3. Which are the books that you need to read for the a play about a little boy, Omar, and his elder sister,

Sasha, who have been separated from their family dog and hoped that by disguising it as a child,
during war. They try to find an address written on they would be able to get it past the check
a dirty, torn sheet of paper. In their search for their post. Moreover, because of the war, there was
family, they came across two other children, Lena and food shortage and they feared people might
Georgiou, and an old woman, Fran. take the dog and kill it for food.
Fran meant that people make their own
4.
Let’s Get Started fortunes through hard work. No one gets
anything easily without having to work for it.
Suggested answers. Please accept all valid answers.
5. Georgiou and Lena earned their living
• The images are of children who are refugees – they through showing simple tricks to passers-by
have no home and are living in extreme poverty on the road.
in unhealthy and cramped conditions with limited
6. Omar and Lena’s mother had to go and answer
access to basic necessities like food, education and
questions when the soldiers came. The children
medical facilities.
were buying olive oil in a shop but when the
• I feel great sympathy for them. I also feel sad that firing started, their mother told them to run.
they have to suffer like this just because of problems They lost her in the crowds and even their
in their home countries. They must also be feeling father did not know where they were.
homesick and lost because they are separated from
their extended families and friends. Life Skills and Values
• They are living in refugee camps with makeshift
Think and answer.
shelters set up for displaced people.
• It is obvious they have no proper home, good food, 1. Fran
wanted to use familiarity as a means to get
access to proper sanitation, and education. across the barrier. The soldier was unmoved
because many other civilians might have used
Answer Keys
• Governments can provide better facilities for these

children. Their medical needs should be met, the the same excuse to get to the other side without
sanitation facilities improved, and efforts should be carrying valid papers.
made to hold regular classes for these children so 2. This tells us that they were very loving and protective
their education isn’t interrupted. about their dog. They were willing to take risks to
SDG10 can be achieved by making sure the keep it safe. They considered it a member of their
refugees do not get harmed while migrating. They family, the only one they still had near them.
must be given shelter and protection in camps 3. All that the children had with them was a little bread
which have better facilities. and cheese. They used this and dried fruit like dates
as bribes to get others to help them. This shows that
Comprehension there was a scarcity of food and people were willing
Quick Recap to barter food for favours.
A. 1. mother 3. ten 5.

hoot Way with Words
2. family 4. church
B. 1. While Fran hurried through the check post
A.
A B
barrier, Sasha grabbed Omar and dragged
him after Fran, getting away from the 1. lost face e. lost respect
soldier. Thereafter, both Sasha and Omar 2. lost heart d. despaired
disappeared into the crowd, and got into the 3. lost his head a. could
not behave in a
compartment. calm or sensible way
2. Sasha suggested that when they would reach
4. lost his nerve c. lost confidence
the city, they would send the train company the
money and it would be fine. 5. lost his mind b. he went mad
3. Sasha and Omar were carrying their dog in a
B. 1. lost face: After the scam was brought to light,
pram because they did not have a pass for the
the minister lost his face in the eyes of the
public.
2. lost heart: When besieged soldiers realized
that help would not come, they lost heart
and surrendered.
3. lost his head: When Sunil’s father got to know
of his son’s poor result, he lost his head and
shouted at him.

4. lost
his nerve: The player lost his nerve and searching for their mother. They should also talk
missed the penalty. about how their friend should not worry if he/she
5. lost his mind: When King Lear was thrown out doesn’t hear from them for a long time. Allow
of his castle by his daughters, he lost his mind. students to use their creativity and write the letter in
around 300-350 words.
Grammar in Use
A. 1. She asked, ‘What is the time?’ Formal letter requesting help:

2. Ram said, ‘I am going for the ceremony 40 Palm Place,
tomorrow.’ Kolkata – 700017.
3. The children said, ‘Hurrah! We have won the 21st October, 2012.
match.’
4. ‘You need to take some rest,’ the doctor said. To,
5. ‘The Earth moves around the Sun,’ the teacher The Director,
said.
CRY Agency,
6. Hamid
told me last month, ‘I will see the doctor 11, Park Street,
tomorrow.’ Kolkata – 700012
B. 1. The pupils apologized to the teacher for
making a lot of noise. Dear Sir,
2. The teacher asked John if he could spot I would like to bring to your notice an urgent and
Maldives on the map. distressing situation.
3. She exclaimed that the dress was lovely. I have been in contact with two children who have
4. The Principal forbade the boys from bringing
Answer Keys
been separated from their family and are in need of
mobile phones to school. a secure home. I met them wandering about the bus
5. The thief begged to be forgiven. stand in the centre of the city.
It is very important to immediately take them to
Study Skills a place where they can get regular meals and a
comfortable bed. The children are innocent and
Word Meaning Origin brave.
brochure booklet containing French With proper assistance from your organisation their
information lives can be made secure.
cartoon simple drawing Italian I earnestly request you to look into this matter at the
showing objects in a earliest.
humorous way
cookie a sweet biscuit Dutch Thanking you,
siesta short nap Spanish Yours sincerely,
Shibani Sen
mosquito a blood-sucking insect Portuguese
B.
Five English words of Indian origin: loot, khaki, Chapter 18: In the Rue Bel Tesoro – II
thug, typhoon, dacoit
Summary
Listening and Speaking In the second part of the play, Omar and Sasha
This exercise will be done as a group activity. The continue their search for their family. They are joined
focus should be on the ability to imagine beyond by Lena and Georgiou, who are also looking for their
the text while keeping the basic framework in mind. father. The old woman, Fran, turns out to be their
Ensure that each student gets to write a part of the grandmother. She goes to the address she knows the
script and enact some role. children are looking for and left them some supplies.
When the children find the supplies, they make new
Pen it Down plans to find their grandmother.
Students can write about what their feelings are

about the impending journey. They can talk about
how they are afraid of the dangers that might
befall them, how they fear that they might not find
their mother at all and how they plan to go about

Let’s Get Started grandchildren and she had not recognized
them and refused to help them. In this way, the
YEMEN Since 2015, the country from the Fortune Teller’s words came true for Fran.
Arabian Peninsula has suffered 3.
The
children were looking for Rue Bel Tesoro
due to conflict, famine and the because that is where their aunt lived. They
threat of war. The children there hoped that if they could reach there, she would
suffer from malnutrition. give them shelter and help them find their family.
AFGHANISTAN It is estimated that as many as half 4. The Fortune Teller and his children were looking
a million people are likely to flee for each other with the help of the sound of the
this country close to India since its hooting of an owl. It was their special call to
takeover by the Taliban in August attract the attention of each other.
2021. The Taliban’s previous 5. Lena and Georgiou argued about selling the
occupation in 1996–2001 was dog, Valentine, for money. Lena refused to
characterized by human rights take away the dog from Omar and Sasha, but
abuses and sharply reduced Georgiou wanted to take it and sell it in the city.
freedom, especially for women. 6. In the letter, Fran apologized to the children for
SYRIA This West Asian country bordering not helping them when they needed her help.
Turkey in the southeast has She left them a set of teeth and instructed them
suffered civil war and terrorism by to meet her at the address written in the letter.
the terrorist outfit Islamic State After they read the letter, the children decided
of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) since to go and find their grandmother.
2011. The violence has made 7. Omar suggested that they could sneak through
people flee to 125 countries. the barbed wire and get back to the city. They
Answer Keys
SOUTH SUDAN This African country, which shares would sell the teeth their grandmother had left
part of its name with its northern them and use the money to buy food and look
neighbour, is also the newest for her in the city.
country in the world. Since Life Skills and Values
conflict broke out in 2013, it has
suffered from the largest refugee Think and answer.
crisis in Africa.
1. Omar
and Sasha had kept the dog protected for
VENEZUELA This South American country has all this while. Both Omar and Lena knew that the
faced severe displacement of dog would die if it were given to Georgiou. So
people, not due to war but due to they were horrified at Sasha’s promise.
economic collapse and political
2. Lena accused Georgiou of being as heartless as
changes
the soldiers if he took the dog away from Omar
BURUNDI After the crisis of the presidential and Sasha. Just as the soldiers were taking bribes
election in 2015, this tiny, central from the people, Georgiou was about to take
African country has suffered from bribe from Omar and Sasha in exchange for
war, climate change, epidemics, helping them to reach Rue Bel Tesoro.
hunger and economic crisis. 3. Norma wanted to make sure that she was handing
over the letter to the right people. Hence, she
Comprehension
wanted to see the children’s papers.
Quick Recap 4. Georgiou came back because he did not really
want to leave his sister behind. This tells us that
A. 1. two 4. Omar he was a caring brother who wanted to protect his
2. Omar 5. hopeful sister from danger. He was good at heart and it was
3. Francesca only the hardships of war that made him try to take
B. 1.
The message on the drawing on the piece the dog away from Omar and Sasha.
of paper was, ‘Here’s a dog for you, Madam. 5. The sound was probably made by the father of
Like you had when you were little.’ Omar had Lena and Georgiou, the Fortune Teller. He was
drawn it. using this sound to find his children. So, they might
2. The Fortune Teller told Fran that she had have found each other and together continued the
found a treasure and let it go without realizing search for Sasha and Omar’s grandmother.
what it was. Fran later realized that the two
children she had met on the train were her own

Way with Words Sasha – The though that we may never see my father
again. He was in the old army and now things have
2. terrified of being alone 5.
astounded changed.
3. famished 6.
cruel Interviewer – Where is your dog?
4. utterly broke Omar – We have hidden him in a pram so that he can’t
be taken away from us.
Grammar in Use
Interviewer – I can only hope that your parents are
A. 1. He is a good teacher. SIMPLE watching this broadcast now. You can leave a message
2. We shall go for the party if we are invited. for them telling them how to contact you as soon as
COMPLEX possible
3. Either Raymond will play in the match or Sasha – We are now friends with two other lost
Desmond will take his place. COMPOUND children, Lena and Georgian. We have all left our
names and the address of the alley where we are
4. We cannot come for the programme because
hiding with the fruit seller by the post office. We are
our examinations are on. COMPLEX
waiting for someone to rescue us.
5. Omar did not want to give Valentine away, but
Interviewer – You are both very brave and my news
his sister insisted that he did. COMPOUND
organisation will do everything possible to help you
6. We did not meet many who knew our
all. I am also sure our viewers will want to know what
language. SIMPLE
happens next and we will all pray for a happy ending
7. He is not loud enough to be heard. SIMPLE for you. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you.
8. The beginning of the film was action-packed
but towards the end, it was quite boring.
Research and Write
COMPOUND
Answer Keys
A. Free response. Accept all valid responses.
Study Skills B.
Both the poems are about Nature and how the
poets describe the Nature. The flowers and the
‘qu’ as in quick ‘qu’ as in antique
snail act as a source of joy for both the poets.
equation unique Students can choose either of the poems as the
barbeque mosquito one they like better and give reasons for doing so.
aquatic cheque C. Students
should do some research on the Internet
before doing this exercise. They can also take
quotation sobriquet information from newspapers. They can talk about
the various social, economic and religious biases
Listening and Speaking faced by the people while making the list.
This exercise will help improve the communication skills
of the students. They can use the following hints to ask
the questions: their appearance, their story, why they
need help, appeal to the general public, etc.
Pen it Down
Interview with lost children
Interviewer – We have with us a young boy and girl
who are lost are looking for somebody in Rue bel
Tesero. Can you tell me who you are looking for?
Sasha – We have been separated form our parents
and I must now take care of my brother Omar and dog
Valentine
Interviewer – Do you have your official papers with
you? Has no one helped you?
Omar – Well the soldiers are scary and unfriendly and
an old woman called Fran gave us a lot of advice but
no help.
Interview – What scares you the most?

Coursebook: Chapter 1: The Questions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Coursebook: Chapter 1: The Questions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Coursebook: Chapter 1: The Questions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COURSEBOOK

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

B. 1. stare: staring. Staring at people is considered to

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

make a mess: do something very badly

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Global Positioning System. It is a space-based

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

A. 1. Nick was carrying ice and a tray of bottles when 1. Poirot

share with Poirot.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Listening and Speaking

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

could, paid: said, done: gone

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

3. what: Interrogative adjective

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

The theme of this poem is how an insignificant

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Listening and Speaking M S C M B A L L A D U T

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

longer goes to school but has a private tutor to teach

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Study Skills Let’s Get Started

Pen it Down A. 1. chimney

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Think and answer. mount ✓ ✓

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

• Governments can provide better facilities for these

A. 1. mother 3. ten 5.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

Students can write about what their feelings are

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2021 Collins Learning. All rights reserved.

You might also like