Byjus 6TH English Total Notes

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Unit 1
Who Did Patrick’s Homework?

Working with the text (Page 11)
Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question.
This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)
Question 1:
What did Patrick think his cat was playing with? What was it really? (2)
Answer:
Patrick thought that his cat was playing with a little doll. In reality it was an elf, i.e., a man of the tiniest size.
Question 2:
Why did the little man grant Patrick a wish? (2)
Answer:
Patrick saved the little man’s life from the cat as he did not hand him over to the cat. Out of gratefulness, the
elf promised to grant a wish to Patrick.
Question 3:
What was Patrick’s wish? (3)
Answer:
Patrick hated doing his homework. So when the little man promised to grant him a wish, Patrick asked the
elf to do all his homework for 35 days, until the end of the semester.
Question 4:
In what subjects did the little man need help, to do Patrick’s homework? (5, 6)
Answer:
The little man was particularly weak in English, Maths and History. Hence, he asked for Patrick’s help while
doing the homework on these subjects.
Question 5:
How did Patrick help him? (7)
Answer:
Patrick sat beside the little man and stayed up late at night to guide him while doing the homework. He
brought books from the library and read out those books to the little man.
Question 6:
Who do you think did Patrick’s homework — the little man, or Patrick himself? Give reasons for your answer.
(9, 10)
Answer:
In reality, Patrick did all the homework by himself. He had to help the little man over and again with proper
guidance and bring books from the library to do the homework.
Working with language (Page 11-12)

TVTRC
Question A:
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the words or phrases from the box. (You may not know the
meaning of all the words. Look such words up in a dictionary, or ask your teacher.)
out of luck mystery true to his word chores
semester between you and me look up
1. Some people find household ————————————— a bore, but I like to help at home.
2. Who stole the diamond is still a —————————————.
3. This ————————————— we are going to have a class exhibition.
4. —————————————, the elf began to help Patrick.
5. Can you ————————————— this word in the dictionary?
6. I started early to be on time, but I was ———————————. There was a traffic jam!
7. She says she’s got a lot of books, but ———————————— I think most of them are borrowed.
Answer:
1. Some people find household chores a bore, but I like to help at home.
2. Who stole the diamond is still a mystery.
3. This semester, we are going to have a class exhibition.
4. True to his word, the elf began to help Patrick.
5. Can you look up this word in the dictionary?
6. I started early to be on time, but I was out of luck. There was a traffic jam!
7. She says she’s got a lot of books, but between you and me, I think most of them are borrowed.
Question B:
Use the clues given below to complete this crossword puzzle.
TVTRC
Across
1. very tired
2. had an angry look on the face
3. short trousers
4. a fault in a machine that prevents it from working properly
5. a small and naughty boy-fairy
Down
6. work that must be done everyday, often boring
7. a basket with a lid
8. gave a short, high-pitched cry
Answer:
Speaking (Page 13)

Question A:
In the story Patrick does difficult things he hates to do, because the elf pretends he needs help. Have you
ever done something difficult or frightening, by pretending about it in some way? Tell your classmates about
it.
Or
Say what you feel about homework. (The words and phrases in the boxes may help you.) Do you think it is
useful, even though you may not like it? Form pairs, and speak to each other.
For example:
You may say, “I am not fond of homework.”
Your partner may reply, “But my sister helps me with my lessons at home, and that gives a boost to my
marks.”
(not) be fond of (not) take to (not) develop a liking for
(not) appeal to (not) be keen on (not) have a taste for
support assist with the aid of
help be a boon give a boost to
Answer:
I: I am not fond of reading books.
My partner: But my brother told me that reading books gives a boost to your vocabulary.
I: My friend is not so keen on scoring good grades in the exams.
My partner: But my sister said that she would assist me in my lessons to score well in the exams.
I: I have not developed a liking for playing football.
My partner: But my cousin assured me that he would help me to learn how to play football.
I: My younger brother has taken to playing chess.
My partner: But my brother does not support me in playing indoor games.
I: I have appealed to my Physical Training teacher to allow me a day’s break from the drill session.
My partner: But playing outdoor games can be a boon for your health.
I: I have always had a taste for delicious food.
My partner: But my mother says that I should clean my bare hands with the aid of soap and water before
touching the food.
Writing (Page 13-14)

Question A:
This story has a lot of rhyming words, as a poem does. Can you write out some parts of it like a poem, so
that the rhymes come at the end of separate lines?
For example:
Patrick never did homework. “Too boring,” he said.
He played baseball and hockey and Nintendo instead.
Answer:
• The man of the smallest size

He was sincere and wise
• Patrick loved to play sports, not work

He wasted his time and had pending homework
• The elf promised to help and wore a high tall hat

Patrick saved him from the naughty cat
Question B:
Look at these sentences.
1. “Too boring,” he said.
2. Cleaned his room, did his chores.
When we speak, we often leave out words that can easily be guessed. We do not do this when we write,
unless we are trying to write as we speak (as in the story).
So, if we were to write carefully, we would say:
• “Homework is too boring,” he said.

• He cleaned his room and did his chores.
Answer:
Read the sentences carefully.
Question C:
Rewrite the following incomplete sentences carefully, so that the reader does not have to guess what is left
out.
1. more and more books
2. too difficult
3. got up late, missed the bus
4. solved the mystery
Answer:
1. My sister loves reading more and more books.
2. Maths is too difficult to understand.
3. Last Friday, my brother got up late, he missed the bus for college.
4. The detective solved the mystery of the crime scene.
Question D:
Look at this cartoon by R.K.Laxman. Read the sentence given below the cartoon. Discuss the following
questions with your partner.
• What is it about?
• Do you find it funny? If so, why?
• Do you think a cartoon is a serious drawing? Why or why not?
Answer:
1. It depicts a father’s concern for the betterment and improvement of his son.
2. Yes, the cartoon exhibits a funny tone. The father orders his son to finish his homework. But he
stops the boy from reading the laws against child labour.
3. A cartoon mostly depicts the day-to-day activities of life with funny images. Although the above
cartoon is a serious drawing, it draws our attention to a common problem that affects one and all.
Poem A House, A Home
A House, A Home
Working with the poem (Page 16)
Question 1:
Do you agree with what the poet says? Talk to your partner and complete these sentences.
(i) A house is made of —————————————————––———.
(ii) It has —————————————————————————————.
(iii) A home is made by —————————————————––———.
(iv) It has —————————————––———————————————.
Answer:
(i) A house is made of lifeless stone and brick.
(ii) It has glass windows, a courtyard, chimneys, tile floors, doors and a roof.
(iii) A home is made by loved ones comprising caring parents and children.
(iv) It has family members who understand and care for each other selflessly.
Question 2:
Now complete these sentences about your house and home.
(i) My house is —————————————————––———————————————————————
—––——————————————.
(ii) The best thing about my home is ————————————––———————————————————––
——————————————.
Answer:
(i) My house is a structure made of bricks, stone and tiles. It has wide beautiful windows, a spacious bedroom, a
warm and cosy living room and doors with curtains.
(ii) The best thing about my home is that all my family members are very loving and affectionate. We care for each
other and avoid misunderstandings or quarrels among us.
NCERT Solutions Supplementary Class 6 English - Chapter 1
A Tale Of Two Birds
A Tale Of Two Birds

Exercise Questions (Page 3)
Question 1:
How did the two baby birds get separated?
Answer:
The two baby birds lived with their mother in a nest in a tall and shady tree. One day, there was a big
storm with thunder, lightning and rain. A big, heavy branch hit the nest and killed the mother bird. The
strong wind blew the two baby birds away to the other side of the forest and separated them from each
other.
Question 2:
Where did each of them find a home?
Answer:
One of the baby birds came down near a cave where a gang of robbers lived. The other baby bird landed
outside a rishi’s ashram a little distance away. Thus, they found two different homes.
Question 3:
What did the first bird say to the stranger?
Answer:
The first bird saw the stranger i.e. the King. He called the robbers to come quickly and rob the King of
his jewels and his horse. The bird had indirectly warned the stranger of the consequences of sitting near
the cave.
Question 4:
What did the second bird say to him?
Answer:
The second bird welcomed the King to the ashram. He requested the stranger to go inside the ashram,
take some rest and make himself comfortable. He further added that the first bird was his brother who
had made friends with robbers, so he talked like them.
Question 5:
How did the rishi explain the different ways in which the birds behaved?
Answer:
The king was surprised about the difference in behaviour between the two birds. The rishi explained
that the first bird imitated the same words that he heard from the robbers, whereas the second bird
repeated the words that he had always heard at the ashram. This implies that the different ways of
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English - Unit 1
A Tale Of Two Birds
behaviour between the two birds was the result of the company in which they lived.
Question 6:
Which one of the following sums up the story best?
(i) A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
(ii) One is known by the company one keeps.
(iii) A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Answer:
(ii) One is known by the company one keeps.
How the Dog Found Himself a New Master!

Working with the text
A. Discuss these questions in pairs before you write the answers.
Question 1. Why did the dog feel the need for a master? (1, 2)
Answer: The dog felt the need for a master because he was tired of wandering about all by himself and
being scared of those who were stronger than him. So, he decided to have a master who was stronger than
anyone on the entire earth.
Question 2. Who did he first choose as his master? Why did he leave that master? (3)
Answer: He chose the wolf as his first master. He left the wolf as his master because the wolf was scared
of the bear. The dog wanted to serve a master who was stronger than anyone on the earth. So, he left the
wolf.
Question 3. Who did he choose next? (5)
Answer: He chose the bear as his master.
Question 4. Why did he serve the lion for a long time? (8)
Answer: He served the lion for a long time because he had no complaints. He was safe as the lion was the
strongest beast and no one dared to touch the dog.
Question 5. Whom did he finally choose as his master and why? (9, 10)
Answer: He finally chose man as his master. This is because even the lion, who was the fiercest beast, was
scared of humans. This convinced the dog that man was the strongest of all.
B. A summary of the story is given below. Fill in the blanks to complete it taking appropriate phrases from the
box.
a dog, stronger than anyone else, the strongest of all, a wolf, the bear, afraid of man, his own master, a lion
This is the story of —–––––—————————–, who used to be —————————————. He decided to find a
master —–––––––———————. First he found —————————— ——, but the wolf was afraid of –––————
––———————. The dog thought that the bear was —————————————. After some time the dog met ——
———————————, who seemed the strongest.
He stayed with the lion for a long time. One day he realized that the lion was ———————––——————. To
this day, the dog remains man’s best friend.
Answer: This is the story of a dog, who used to be his own master. He decided to find a master stronger
than anyone else. First he found a wolf, but the wolf was afraid of the bear. The dog thought that the bear
was the strongest of all. After some time the dog met a lion, who seemed the strongest.
He stayed with the lion for a long time. One day he realized that the lion was afraid of man. To this day, the
dog remains man’s best friend.
Working with the language
A. Each word in the box given below indicates a large number of…
For example, ‘a herd of cows’ refers to many cows.
Complete each of the following phrases with a suitable word from the box.
School, fleet, brood, bundle, bunch, pack, flock, herd
1. a —————––—— of ships 5. a ———––———— of sticks
2. a ——————––— of flowers 6. a ——––————— of sheep
3. a ——————––— of chicks 7. a —––—————— of fish
4. a ———————–– of cattle 8. a ––——————— of wolves
Answer:
1. a fleet of ships 5. a bundle of sticks
2. a bunch of flowers 6. a flock of sheep
3. a brood of chicks 7. a school of fish
4. a herd of cattle 8. a pack of wolves
B. Make nouns from the words given below by adding –ness or –ity. (For some words we need to add just –
ty, or –y.)
1. honest ————————— 7. creative ———————————–
2. kind —————————— 8. sincere ———————————–
3. cruel —————————— 9. cheerful ——————————
4. calm —————————— 10. bitter —————————–—- —
5. sad ——————————— 11. sensitive——————————-
6. active ——————————- 12. great ——————————-——
Answer:
1. honesty 7. creativity
2. kindness 8. sincerity
3. cruelty 9. cheerfulness
4. calmness 10. bitterness
5. sadness 11. sensitivity
6. activity 12. greatness
C. Word search
• There are twelve words hidden in this table.
• Six can be found horizontally and the remaining six vertically.
• All of them are describing words like ‘good’, ‘happy’, etc.
• The first letters of the words are given below:
Horizontal: H R F F S G
Vertical: A W S F L Q
Answer:
D. Read the following passage and do the exercises that follow. Then complete the family tree of dogs given
on the facing page.
The Dog Family
The dog family is one of the 11 families that make up the Carnivores, a large group of intelligent, flesh-
eating, backboned animals. In this group are such varied animals as bears, pandas, raccoons, cats, hyenas,
and even seals. The dog or canine family has many wild species like wolves, foxes, coyotes, jackals, and
wild dogs.
The dog is the only domesticated member of the canine family, though now and then, someone tames a
wolf, fox or coyote as a pet.
All members of the dog family are descendants of a wolf-like animal which lived about 15 million years ago.
From this distant ancestor, the true dogs gradually developed. But nobody knows the exact ancestor of the
modern domestic dog.
Several wild dogs look and behave like domestic dogs. The dingo or wild dog of Australia is one of these. It
is possible that the dingo was a tamed dog brought to Australia long ago which then ran wild.
Dogs were the first animals tamed by humans — perhaps 20,000 years ago. Tamed dogs were brought from
Asia to the New World 5,000 or more years ago. Dogs were first used for hunting.
1. Find the opposites of these words in the text above.
(i) ancestor — — — — — — — — — —
(ii) wild t — m —
(iii) ancient — — — — — —
(iv) near d — — — — — t
(v) suddenly gr — — — — — — —
Answer:
(i) ancestor d e s c e n d e n t
(ii) wild t a m e
(iii) ancient m o d e r n
(iv) near d i s t a n t
(v) suddenly g r a d u a l l y
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) The dingo is ———————————————————–—————.
(ii) Dogs were the ———————————————————animals tamed by humans. The other animals tamed by
humans are ——————————————————————————————
(Think and name some other such animals.)
(iii) The New World refers to ———————————–––—————.
Dogs were brought there from —————————–—————.
Answer:
(i) The dingo is a wild dog.
(ii) Dogs were the first animals tamed by humans. The other animals tamed by humans are cats, horses,
elephants, cows, goats, buffaloes, donkeys, etc.
(Think and name some other such animals.)
(iii) The New World refers to America.
Dogs were brought there from Asia.
Speaking
Question 1. Here are some points from a similar story that you might have heard in another language.
Dividing the class into two groups try and tell the story in English. One person from each group can speak
alternately. Your teacher will help you. As you tell it, one of you may write it down on the board.
A Mouse Maiden
• mouse changed into a girl by a magician…

• wants to marry the strongest person…
• asks whether sun or cloud stronger (why?)…
• but mountain stronger than clouds (how?)…
• but mouse stronger than mountain (how?)…
• girl asks to marry mouse, becomes a mouse again.
Answer: Do it yourself.
Poem The Kite
The Kite
Working with the Poem
Question 1. List out the action words in the poem.
dive, dip, snaps, ——————, ——————, ———————, ——————, ——————
Find out the meanings of these words.
Answer:
Dive – to enter into water intentionally, especially headfirst
Dip – to enter into water momentarily
Snaps – to make a sharp or crackling sound
Soars – to fly aloft
Rides – to sit and travel on the back of an animal
Flaps – to toss sharply
Pulls – to exert force upon to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force
Question 2. Read these lines from the poem:
Then soars like a ship
With only a sail
The movement of the tailless kite is compared to a ship with a sail. This is called a simile. Can you suggest what or
who the following actions may be compared to?
He runs like —————————————––———
He eats like ——————————————–—–—
She sings like ————————————––—— –—
It shines like ————————————–––———
It flies like ——————————————––———–
Answer:
He runs like a deer.
He eats like a horse.
She sings like a nightingale.
It shines like a glowworm.
It flies like a kite.
Question 3. Try to make a kite with your friends. Collect the things required, such as colour paper/newspaper, thread,
glue, and a thin stick that can be bent. After making the kite, see if you can fly it.
The Friendly Mongoose
THE FRIENDLY MONGOOSE
Questions
Question 1: Why did the farmer bring a baby mongoose into the house?
Answer: The farmer and his wife had a baby. They wanted him to have a companion to play with. So,
the farmer brought a baby mongoose into the house.
Question 2. Why didn’t the farmer’s wife want to leave the baby alone with the mongoose?
Answer: The farmer’s wife did not want to leave the baby alone with the mongoose because she was
scared that the mongoose might harm her child.
Question 3. What was the farmer’s comment on his wife’s fears?
Answer: The farmer assured his wife that the mongoose was a friendly animal and it won’t hurt their
baby. The farmer also said that the mongoose was as sweet as their baby and they were best friends.
Question 4. Why did the farmer’s wife strike the mongoose with her basket?
Answer: When the farmer’s wife reached home with her basket, she saw the mongoose at the door
with his face and paws covered with blood. She thought that the mongoose had killed her baby. In the
anger, she hit the mongoose with her heavy basket.
Question 5. Did she repent her hasty action? How does she show her repentance?
Answer: Yes, she repented her hasty action when she realized that the mongoose had actually saved
her son from a snake. She ran out looking for the mongoose but it was already dead. She sobbed and felt
extremely sorry for her hasty action.
Taro’s Reward
Taro’s Reward
Working with the text (Pages 34-35)
1. Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
Why did Taro run in the direction of the stream? (5)
Answer:
Taro ran in the direction of the stream because he was very thirsty. He had never seen a rushing stream or
heard the sound of falling water in that part of the forest.
Question 2:
How did Taro’s father show his happiness after drinking saké? (7)
Answer:
Taro’s father was so delighted with the saké that when he swallowed a sip of the liquid, he stopped shivering
and became energetic and did a little dance in the middle of the floor.
Question 3:
Why did the waterfall give Taro saké and others water? (12)
Answer:
The waterfall gave Taro saké and others water because Taro was a very thoughtful and dutiful son to his
parents. He used to serve his parents with dedication and sincerity. The saké from the waterfall was a
reward for his goodness. On the other hand, the people of his village got plain water because they were
greedy.
Question 4:
Why did the villagers want to drown Taro? (10, 11)
Answer:
When the villagers went to the waterfall with big pitchers and vessels to collect saké, they simply got plain
water from the waterfall. They thought that Taro had fooled and tricked them. Hence, they decided to punish
him by drowning him in the same waterfall.
Question 5:
Why did the Emperor reward Taro? (13)
Answer:
Taro was a very dutiful son to his parents and served them with devotion. The Emperor rewarded him with
twenty pieces of gold for being so good and kind to his parents. He also named the fountain after Taro.
Through this reward, the Emperor declared Taro a role model for all children and wanted to encourage all of
them to love, honour and obey their parents.
1. Mark the right item.

Taro’s Reward
1. Taro earned very little money because

(i) he didn’t work hard enough.
(ii) the villagers didn’t need wood.
(iii) the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money
(i) to live a more comfortable life.
(ii) to buy his old father some saké.
(iii) to repair the cracks in the hut.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because
(i) she was delighted with the drink.
(ii) she was astonished to hear Taro’s story.
(iii) she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.
Answer:
1. Taro earned very little money because
(iii) the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money
(ii) to buy his old father some saké.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because
(iii) she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.
Working with language (Pages 35-36)
Question A:
Strike off the words in the box below that are not suitable.
Taro wanted to give his old parents everything they needed.
This shows that he was …
thoughtful hardworking loving honest
considerate trustworthy efficient kind
Answer:
honest, trustworthy, efficient.
Question B:
Taro’s Reward
1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”

‘This’ refers to
(i) a strong wind that began to blow.
(ii) Taro’s father’s old age.
(iii) Taro’s inability to buy expensive saké for his father.
(Mark the right item.)
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
(i) the most beautiful fountain in the city.
(ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
(iii) sending for Taro to hear his story.
(Mark the right item.)
Answer:
1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”
(iii) Taro’s inability to buy expensive saké for his father.
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
(ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
Question C:
Arrange the words below in pairs that rhyme.
Example: young – lung
money – sunny
young sad money chop lung last
wax could bad sound axe wood
way stop sunny fast round day
Answer:
Taro’s Reward
sad bad
chop stop
last fast
wax axe
could wood
sound round
way day
Question D:
1. Fill in the blanks with words from the box.
lonely little hard young
thoughtful delicious beautiful
A ——————–— woodcutter lived on a ——————–— hillside. He was a ——————–——— son who

worked ——————–——— but earned ——————–——— money. One day he saw a ——————–———
waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it ——————–———.
Answer:
A young woodcutter lived on a lonely hillside. He was a thoughtful son who worked hard but
earned little money. One day he saw a beautiful waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and
found it delicious.
2. Find these sentences in the story and fill in the blanks.
(i) This made Taro ——————–——— than ever. (3)
(ii) He decided to work ——————–——— than before. (3)
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed ——————–——— than usual.(4)
Taro’s Reward
(iv) He began to chop even ——————–———. (4)

(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even ——————–——— than the morning before. (10)
Answer:
(i) This made Taro sadder than ever.
(ii) He decided to work harder than before.
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed earlier than usual.
(iv) He began to chop even faster.
(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even earlier than the morning before.
Speaking and Writing (Pages 36-37)
Question A:
Speak the following sentences clearly but as quickly as you can. Learn them by heart.
(i) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood?
(ii) Betty bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter was a little bitter so she bought some better butter to
make the bitter butter better.
Answer:
Activity to be done by yourself.
Question B:
1. The story ‘Taro’s Reward’ shows that Taro is thoughtful, hardworking and also wise. Read aloud the parts
of story that show these qualities in Taro.
2. (i) Like Patrick in the story ‘Who Did Patrick’s Homework’, Taro is helped by magic. Do you believe in
magic? What are the magical things that happen in these stories?
(ii) Which story do you like better, and why? Do you know such stories in other languages? Discuss these
questions in class.
3. Now write a paragraph or two about these two stories, comparing them.
Answer:
1.
1. “All day long, he chopped wood in the forest. Though he worked very hard, he earned very
little money. This made him sad, for he was a thoughtful son and wanted to give his old
parents everything they needed.”
“But Taro had been wise enough to slip behind a rock when he saw how things were going.”
1.
1. (i) Yes, I believe in magic. But I also know that it is a matter of playing tricks that require
practice. In Patrick’s story, there is an elf that helps him to do his homework. In Taro’s story,
magical things happen when the water of the beautiful little waterfall behind the rocks tastes
like saké.
Taro’s Reward
(ii) Honestly speaking, I do like both stories as they are interesting and have a hint of magic in them.
However, I really appreciate Taro’s story as it teaches us a major lesson that hard work always pays off and
that we should always respect and obey our parents, who sacrifice so much for our sake.
(For the second part of the question, please attempt by yourself).
1. The story “Who did Patrick’s homework?” is an interesting story about a young boy who hated doing
his homework. One day he saves an elf from the cat, and the little man grants him a wish. Patrick
asks the little man to do his homework until the end of his semester, and the elf complies with it.
This is a very natural story of all students who hate homework and want someone else to complete
their pending work.
On the contrary, “Taro’s Reward” is the story of a young and hardworking woodcutter who is a thoughtful son
to his parents. He tries his best to keep his parents happy, and even God favours his thoughtfulness and
rewards him. A magical waterfall offers saké instead of plain water for his old father to drink. This story has
a moral lesson that hard work always pays off and that we should always respect and obey our parents, who
sacrifice so much for our sake.
Question C:
1. Listen to these children. What are they talking about?
Answer:
The three boys are discussing their problems. The first boy considers swimming to be more difficult than
driving. The second boy disagrees with it. He thinks that swimming is much less difficult than driving.
However, the third boy thinks that learning English is the most difficult task in comparison to swimming and
driving.
2. Work in groups. Come to an agreement on each of the activities given below. Decide which is the most
interesting, dullest, most dangerous, safest, most rewarding, most exciting.
Taro’s Reward
cooking fishing playing football
knitting dancing listening to music
reading sewing mountain climbing
walking swimming learning languages
painting watching TV stamp collecting
Answer:
most interesting: dancing, watching TV, listening to music
dullest: knitting, sewing, learning languages
most dangerous: mountain climbing
safest: walking, stamp collecting
most rewarding: cooking, reading, fishing, painting
most exciting: playing football, swimming
Dictation (Page 38)
Question 1:
Your teacher will speak the words given below. Write against each two new words that rhyme with it.
1. bed —–———–———— —–———–————
2. wax —–———–———— —–———–————
3. fast —–———–———— —–———–————
4. chop —–———–———— —–———–————
5. young —–———–———— —–———–————
Answer:
1. bed red, shed
2. wax axe, tax
3. fast last, cast
4. chop hop, shop
5. young tongue, unsung
Poem The Quarrel
The Quarrel
Question 1:
With your partner try to guess the meaning of the underlined phrases.
(i) And somehow we fell out.
(ii) The afternoon turned black.
Answer:
1. fell out – quarrelled or argued.

2. turned black – was spoiled or wasted due to bad or tense mood.
Question 2:
Read these lines from the poem:
(i) One thing led to another
(ii) The start of it was slight
(iii) The end of it was strong
(iv) The afternoon turned black
(v) Thumped me on the back
Discuss with your partner what these lines mean.
Answer:
(i) During the argument, one thing led to another.
(ii) The start and cause of the quarrel were petty and small.
(iii) The quarrel ended on a sour note which had a long-lasting effect.
(iv) The quarrel spoiled the mood of the quarrelling persons, and the afternoon became intolerably sad.
(v) Patted on the back in an amiable manner.
Question 3:
Describe a recent quarrel that you have had with your brother, sister or friend. How did it start? What did you quarrel
about? How did it end?
Answer:
Sohan is my best friend at school. I invited him to my birthday party, but he did not turn up for the celebrations.
Suddenly he started behaving awkwardly, and our relationship turned bitter. At school the next day, we had an
argument about the incident. We both didn’t talk to each other for a few days. Both of us remained tense and sad on
those days. Since we were missing each other, we decided to patch up. Therefore, we confronted each other and
resolved our differences amicably. We shook hands and hugged each other and promised to renew our friendship in a
fresh manner.
(Note: Students can attempt this question as per their personal experience)
The Shepherd’s Treasure

Question 1:
The shepherd hadn’t been to school because
(i) he was very poor.
(ii) there were very few schools in those days.
(iii) he wasn’t interested in studies.
Choose the right answer.
Answer:
(ii) there were very few schools in those days.
Question 2:
Who visited the shepherd one day, and why?
Answer:
The king of Iran had come to visit the wise shepherd when he heard about his wisdom and friendly
nature. The king disguised himself as a shepherd and riding on a mule, he came to visit the humble
shepherd.
Question 3:
Why did the other governors grow jealous of the shepherd?
Answer:
The king was pleased at the wise shepherd’s warm reception and appointed him as the governor of a
small district. People loved and honoured him for his wisdom, sympathy and goodness. His fame
spread far and wide throughout the country. So, the governors of other provinces grew terribly jealous
of him and began to talk to the king against him.
Question 4:
Why was the new governor called to the palace?
Answer:
The governors of other provinces were extremely jealous of the newly appointed governor who was
renowned for his wisdom, sympathy and goodness. They poisoned the king’s ears against the humble
governor and reported that he was dishonest. They complained that he kept for himself part of the
money in an iron chest that he collected as tax from the people. Hearing all these, finally the king called
the new governor to the palace and ordered him to explain why he always carried an iron chest along
with him.
Question 5:
Why was everyone delighted to see the iron chest on the camel’s back?
Answer:
Everyone in the palace was delighted to see the iron chest on the camel’s back when the new governor
arrived because they thought that the iron chest contained gold, silver and jewels in it. They knew if the
king found the treasure inside the chest, then he would dismiss the new governor of his duties and
punish him for his bad deeds.
Question 6:
(i) What did the iron chest contain?
(ii) Why did the shepherd always carry it?
(iii) Is it an example of the shepherd’s humility or wisdom or both?
Answer:
(i) The iron chest contained an old blanket only inside it.
(ii) The shepherd always carried an old blanket in an iron chest because it was his oldest friend.
He said that it will still protect him if any day the king takes away his position and power.
(iii) Yes, it is an ideal example of the shepherd’s humility, wisdom and goodness.
Question 7:
How did the king reward the new governor?
Answer:
The king was extremely pleased with the new governor’s humility, wisdom and honesty. He
immediately rewarded the wise man and promoted him to the position of a governor of a bigger district
the same day.
An Indian – American Woman in Space:
Kalpana Chawla
An Indian – American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla

A. Answer the following questions.
Question 1. Where was Kalpana Chawla born? Why is she called an Indian – American? (3)
Answer: Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. She got married to an American citizen and thus
became a naturalized American. So, she is called an Indian-American.
Question 2. When and why did she go to the U.S.? Who did she marry? (2, 3)
Answer: She went to the U.S. for higher studies in aeronautical engineering. She married flight instructor
Jean-Pierre Harrison.
Question 3. How did she become an astronaut? What gave her the idea that she could be an astronaut? (3)
Answer: She applied for NASA’s space shuttle program and got hired as a research scientist at NASA. She
was then selected for training as an astronaut in 1994.
Question 4. What abilities must an astronaut have, according to the journalist? (6)
Answer: According to the journalist, one needs to know a lot about everything- biology, astrophysics, and
aeronautical engineering to be an astronaut.
Question 5. Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space. (5)
Answer: Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space lasted 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes. She went around
the earth 252 times, travelling 10.75 million kilometers. A Ukrainian and a Japanese astronaut were also
among the crew members.
Question 6. What does Kalpana Chawla say about pursuing a dream? Do you agree with her that success is
possible?
Answer: Kalpana says, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the
courage to get onto it… Wishing you a great journey.”
Yes, I do agree with her that with vision and courage, success is possible.
B. Read the newspaper report to find the following facts about the Columbia’s ill-fated voyage.
l. Date and place of lift off: ————————————————————
2. Number of astronauts on board: ———————————————––
3. Number of days it stayed in space: ——————————————––
4. Number of experiments done by scientists: —————————––
5. Date of return journey: ———————————————–————–––
6. Height at which it lost contact: ————————————————––
Answer:
l. Date and place of lift off: 16 January 2003
2. Number of astronauts on board: Seven
Kalpana Chawla
3. Number of days it stayed in space: 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes
4. Number of experiments done by scientists: 80
5. Date of return journey: 1 February 2003
6. Height at which it lost contact: 200000 feet
A. Match the following:
unprecedented space something that causes feelings of respect and wonder

tragedy
certified flight instructor having knowledge of a wide variety of subjects
space mission nowadays, in these times
super specialisation a set of jobs to be done in space by a group
encyclopedic knowledge a person with the correct qualification to teach people to fly
planes
awe-inspiring a sad accident of a kind that has never happened
before in space
in this age great expertise in a limited field or a particular subject

Answer:
unprecedented space a sad accident of a kind that has never happened

tragedy
before in space
certified flight instructor a person with the correct qualification to teach people to fly
planes
space mission a set of jobs to be done in space by a group
super specialisation great expertise in a limited field or a particular subject

Kalpana Chawla
encyclopedic knowledge having knowledge of a wide variety of subjects
awe-inspiring something that causes feelings of respect and wonder
in this age nowadays, in these times

B. Use these phrases in sentences of your own, after finding out their meanings.
1. broke apart 4. lifted off 7. cheered along
2. streaked over 5. blast off 8. on board
3. spread across 6. went on 9. carry on
Answer:
1. broke apart: The fire broke the house apart.
2. streaked over: The jet plane streaked over the valley this morning.
3. spread across: The disease is spread across the entire world.
4. lifted off: The helicopter made a lot of noise when it lifted off from the helipad.
5. blast off: The rocket blasted off at midnight.
6. went on: The meeting went on the whole evening.
7. cheered along: The cricketers were cheered along by the audience.
8. on board: There were 600 passengers on board.
9. carry on: She was convinced to carry on her career in singing.
C. We add ‘un-’ to make opposites.
For example, true — untrue.
Add ‘un’– to the words below to make their opposites. Then look up the meanings of the words you have
formed in the dictionary.
l. identified ————————— 6. educated ——————––———
2. controlled ——————–—–– 7. interesting ——————––——
3. attended ————————–— 8. qualified —————————––
4. successful ———————–— 9. trained ——————–— –———
5. important ————————— 10. answerable ———–—————
Answer:
l. unidentified 6. uneducated
2. uncontrolled 7. uninteresting
3. unattended 8. unqualified
4. unsuccessful 9. untrained
Kalpana Chawla
5. unimportant 10. unanswerable
Speaking
Question 1. In her message to students of her college, Kalpana Chawla said, “May you have the vision to find
the path from dreams to success… Wishing you a great journey.”
Form pairs. Use “May you…” and “I wish you/Wishing you” to wish your partner good luck and success in
(i) a sports event,
(ii) a quiz or a competition, and
(iii) a test or examination.
Be sure to thank your partner when she/he wishes you in turn. You may also look up a telephone directory,
or go to a post office, and get a list in English and Hindi of standard phrases that can be sent in greeting
telegrams anywhere in India. Discuss which of these you might use, and when. Compare the English and
Hindi phrases for expressing good wishes. Do you know such phrases in any other language?
Answer:
(i) May you win the sports event.
(ii) I wish you good luck in performing well in the quiz competition.
(iii) Wishing you all the best for your examination.
Writing
A. Do you have a ‘dream’, or something you very much wish to do?
Write a paragraph saying what you want or wish to do. Then say (in another paragraph) how you think you
can make your dream come true.
Answer: My dream is to become a scientist and invent something useful for society and future generations.
I wish I could make a change in people’s lives through that invention and make things easier or better for
them so that they can live happy lives.
I think I can make my dream come true by studying strategically. I will have to make and follow a proper
timetable for the same.
B. Given below are some words that are spelt differently in British and American English. Fill in the blanks
accordingly.
British American
1. colour ————————
2. ———————— labor
3. ———————— traveler
4. counsellor ————————
5. centre ————————
6. ———————— theater
7. ———————— organize
Kalpana Chawla
8. realise ————————
9. ———————— defense
10. offence ————————
Answer:
British American
1. colour color
2. labour labor
3. traveller traveler
4. counsellor counselor
5. centre center
6. theatre theater
7. organize organize
8. realise realize
9. defence defense
10. offence offense
Poem Beauty
Beauty
Question 1. The poet says, “Beauty is heard in …”
Can you hear beauty? Add a sound that you think is beautiful to the sounds the poet thinks are beautiful.
The poet, Keats, said:
Heard melodies are sweet,
But those unheard are sweeter.
What do you think this means? Have you ever ‘heard’ a song in your head long after the song was sung or played?
Answer: We do hear beautiful sounds. For instance, when a guitarist plays the guitar, when a cuckoo sings, when the
raindrops fall on the ground, when a soft breeze flows, etc.
“Heard melodies are sweet,
But those unheard are sweeter.”
This means that our imagination can go beyond and be even more beautiful than reality. Heard melodies are the ones
which are actually being played around. But the unheard are the ones that our mind plays in our hearts, and such sounds
are sweeter and closer to our hearts.
Yes, I have heard songs in my head long after the song was sung or played. Those are my favourite songs.
Question 2. Read the first and second stanzas of the poem again. Note the following phrases.
corn growing, people working or dancing, wind sighing, rain falling, a singer chanting
These could be written as
• corn that is growing
• people who are working or dancing
Can you rewrite the other phrases like this? Why do you think the poet uses the shorter phrases?
Answer: Here are some more examples of such short phrases: stream flowing, wind blowing, children laughing, mob
shouting, etc. They can be rewritten as follows: stream that is flowing, wind that is blowing, children who are laughing,
and mob that is shouting.
I think the poet uses the shorter phrases to give a musical rhythm to the poetic lines.
Question 3. Find pictures of beautiful things you have seen or heard of.
Question 4. Write a paragraph about beauty. Use your own ideas along with the ideas in the poem. (You may discuss
your ideas with your partner.)
Answer: “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.”
The statement is true to its core. Beauty is how you perceive things. Everything in nature is beautiful. Every insect,
tree, plant, human, mountain, river, rain, and soil is beautiful in its own way. It depends on the person who sees it,
whether he/she considers it to be full of beauty or not.
The Old-Clock Shop
THE OLD-CLOCK SHOP
Questions
Question 1: What made Ray think the visitor was not really a shopper?
Answer: Ray’s old, wise eyes understood that the visitor who arrived at the late hour, was not really a
shopper. There was no friendliness in the visitor’s eyes.
Question 2. Why do you think he had come to the shop?
Answer: I think he had come to the shop to rob the shop. He was in urgent need of money.
Question 3. How did Ray communicate with him?
Answer: As Ray was deaf, he communicated with his visitor through the notepad and the pen.
Question 4. What do you think the man said to his friend who waited at the door?
Answer: The man would have said to his friend who waited at the door that the shop owner was deaf.
Question 5. Ray was not a pawnbroker. Why then did he lend money to people in exchange for their
old watches and clocks?
Answer: Ray was a very kind person. He was not a pawnbroker, someone who lends money on security
of an item. But he always helped the people in need. That’s why he lent money to people in exchange for
their old watched and clocks.
Question 6. “The watch was nothing special and yet had great powers.” In what sense did it have ‘great
powers’?
Answer: “The watch was nothing special and yet had great powers. It had great powers in the sense
that it saved Ray from any kind of physical injuries he would have had to face from the late-hour
visitors. Also, it saved the visitors from doing a robbery. They needed money and they got it by keeping
the watch as a security.
Question 7. Do you think the man would ever come back to pick up the watch?
Answer: No, I don’t think the older man would ever come back to pick up the watch. He received
money more than the watch was worth.
Question 8. When did “the unfriendly face” of the visitor turn truly friendly?
Answer: The unfriendly face of the visitor turned truly friendly when he got a fifty-dollar note for his
ordinary watch. Both, Ray and the older man, knew that the watch was not worth that much money. So,
the older man genuinely felt obliged for Ray’s kindness.
A Different Kind of School
A Different Kind Of School

Working with the text (Page 62-63)
Question A:
Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don’t refer to the
text.
• I shall be so glad when today is over.

• Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
• I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.
• But being blind is so frightening.
• Only you must tell me about things.
• Let’s go for a little walk.
• The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.
Answer:
Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other
bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I
guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.
Question B:
Answer the following questions
1. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school? (1)
2. What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play? (9)
3. “Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day…” Complete the line. Which day was the hardest?
Why was it the hardest? (9, 11, 15)
4. What was the purpose of these special days? (5, 9)
Answer:
1. The writer had heard a lot of praise about the unique teaching methods of Miss Beam’s school. So,
he visited her school to have a personal experience with the new methods of teaching.
2. In Miss Beam’s school, every child had to play the role of being blind, deaf, mute, injured or lame for
a particular day. This was like a ‘game’ that they had to play and this formed a key part of their
training.
3. “Each term, every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb
day”. Among all the days, the blind day was the hardest day because that day students had to act
blind without peeping from their blindfolds. They felt as though they were going to be hit or would
bump into things every moment.
4. The main purpose of these special days was to give the students a personal taste of misfortune.
Enacting a disability for a day would help them understand the feelings of people born with such
disabilities and have respect for the needy people in society. This training prepared the students to
become good and responsible human beings.

Question A:
Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below.
Words Paragraph numbers
1. homesick (3)
2. practically (4)
3. it pains me (7)
4. appreciate (9)
5. thoughtless (10)
6. exercise (11)
7. relief (13)
8. ghastly (14)
almost it hurts me terrible test the strength of
understanding the difficulties wanting to be home a welcome change not very caring
Answer:
1. homesick wanting to be home

2. practically almost
3. it pains me it hurts me
4. appreciate understanding the difficulties
5. thoughtless not very caring
6. exercise test the strength of
7. relief a welcome change
8. ghastly terrible
Question B:
Re-word these lines from the story:
1. I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school.
2. Miss Beam was all that I had expected — middle-aged, full of authority.
3. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
4. “We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power.”
Answer:
1. The writer had heard a lot of praise from people about the different teaching methods at Miss Beam’s
school.
2. The writer found Miss Beam to be a middle-aged woman full of authority.
3. The writer looked out of the window and saw a large garden.
4. The children had to use their will-power to keep quiet.
Question C:
1. Given below is a page from a dictionary. Look at it carefully and
(i) find a word which means the same as ghastly. Write down the word and its two meanings.
(ii) find a word meaning a part of the school year.
(iii) find a word that means examination.
Answer:
1. Ghastly: terrible – causing fear, very bad

2. Term: a fixed length of time, a part of the school year
3. Test: to look at something to see if it is correct or will work properly, to ask someone questions
2. Now make lists of

(i) all the words on the page (plus any more that you can think of) that begin with terr-
(ii) five words that may follow the last word on the page, that.
(iii) write down your own meaning of the word thank. Then write down the meaning given in the dictionary.
Answer:
1. Terr: terrace, terrible, terribly, territory, terrify, terror, terrain

2. That: boy, house, car, dog, question
3. Thank: To express gratitude to someone for help or service or show kindness. In the dictionary: To
say we are grateful to someone.
Question D:
A poem for you to read
All but Blind
All but blind
In his chambered hole
Gropes for worms
The four-clawed Mole.
All but blind
In the evening sky
The hooded Bat
Twirls softly by.
All but blind
In the burning day
The Barn Owl blunders
On her way.
And blind as are
These three to me,
So, blind to Someone
I must be.
• WALTER DE LA MARE
Answer:
Read the poem carefully.
Speaking and Writing (Page 66)
Question A:
Make a short list of things you find difficult to do.
For example:
turning a somersault
threading a needle
Compare your list with the others’ in the class. Can you explain why you find these things difficult to do?
Answer:
Question B:
Look at your hands carefully. Now, write down for each finger one action for which that finger is particularly
important. For example, the second (or index) finger helps to hold the knife down firmly when cutting.
Answer:
Thumb: It helps in holding a pen or pencil while writing.
Second finger (Index finger): It helps in holding a knife while cutting vegetables or fruits.
Third finger (Middle finger): It helps in sketching or holding a paintbrush while painting.
Fourth finger (Ring finger): It is used for putting a ring on the finger and supports other fingers too.
Fifth finger (Little finger/Pinky finger): It helps in supporting other fingers and making a fist.
Poem Where Do All The Teachers Go?
Where Do All The Teachers Go?

Question 1:
Answer these questions.
(i) Why does the poet want to know where the teachers go at four o’clock?
(ii) What are the things normal people do that the poet talks about?
(iii) What does he imagine about
(a) where teachers live?
(b) what they do at home?
(c) the people with whom they live?
(d) their activities when they were children in school?
(iv) Why does the poet wonder if teachers also do things that other people do?
(v) How does the poet plan to find out? What will he do once he finds out?
Answer:
(i) The poet does not consider teachers as ordinary people. He feels that they are special human beings. Hence, he
wants to know where the teachers go at four o’clock and what they do after school hours.
(ii) According to the poet, normal people live in houses, freshen up after returning home, wear pyjamas, wash their
clothes, watch TV, live with their parents, make mistakes, lose books, get punished, scribble on their desks, wear old
dirty jeans and linen, etc.
(iii)
(a) He imagines that his teachers live in houses along with their families.
(b) They wash their socks, wear pyjamas at home, pick on their noses and even watch TV.
(c) They live with their parents and other family members.
(d) During childhood, even they were bad, made mistakes, spelled a word incorrectly and were punished for eating
chocolates in class, they lost their hymn books, scribbled on desk tops or even wore dirty jeans, etc.
(iv) The poet wonders if teachers also do things that other people do because he thinks that they are not ordinary but
special human beings. He assumes that these teachers are always strict, never make any mistakes and are ideal in all
respects.
(v) The poet decided to get first-hand information about his teachers by following them on the way back home so that
he could find out what they do after reaching home. Once he knows what they do, he plans to compose a poem, which
the teachers would then read out to their students.
Question 2:
What do you think these phrases from the poem mean?
(i) punished in the corner
(ii) leave their greens
Poem Where Do All The Teachers Go?
Answer:
(i) punished in the corner: This phrase means getting caught for a misdeed in class and being made to stand in the
corner of the classroom as a punishment.
(ii) leave their greens: Some children leave cooked green vegetables uneaten or throw them into the dustbin. The
phrase “leave their greens” in the poem means that teachers eat green vegetables and do not throw them away.
Tansen
Tansen
Question 1:
Why did Swami Haridas say Tansen was ‘talented’?
Answer:
Tansen was a very naughty child who could imitate the calls of birds and animals perfectly. One day, a
famous singer named Swami Haridas along with his disciples settled down in a shady grove to take rest.
Seeing them, Tansen tried to frighten them away by roaring like a tiger. When the travellers found out it
was Tansen who made the sound, Swami Haridas was impressed by his skill and called him ‘talented’.
Question 2:
Why did Akbar ask Tansen to join his court?
Answer:
Tansen learnt music from Swami Haridas for eleven years and became a great and famous singer. Once
Tansen went to Akbar’s court to sing and soon became a great favourite of the Emperor. Akbar was
highly impressed with his performance and he asked Tansen to join his court immediately.
Question 3:
How do we know that Akbar was fond of Tansen? Give two reasons.
Answer:
Tansen became a great favourite of the Emperor Akbar. The Emperor would often call upon Tansen to
sing at any time of the day for a performance. Akbar would often just walk into Tansen’s house to hear
him practice. Besides, he would also give the singer various beautiful presents.
Question 4:
What did the other courtiers feel about Tansen?
Answer:
With the increase in Tansen’s popularity, the other courtiers of Akbar’s court became jealous of him.
They decided to ruin his music career and get rid of him forever.
Question 5:
(i) What happens if Raga Deepak is sung properly?
(ii) Why did Tansen’s enemies want him to sing the Raga?
Answer:
(i) If Raga Deepak was sung properly, the air and surroundings would become so hot that the
singer would be burnt to ashes.
Tansen
(ii) Some courtiers of Akbar’s court were jealous of Tansen and his popularity and soon they
became his enemies. They wanted him to sing Raga Deepak so that he would die out of heat
and burn to ashes.
Question 6:
Why did Tansen agree to sing Raga Deepak?
Answer:
Tansen was afraid to sing Raga Deepak, but agreed to sing it as he dared not disobey the king. Besides,
he also wanted to exhibit his singing ability and talent in music.
Question 7:
(i) What steps did he take to save himself?
(ii) Did his plan work? How?
Answer:
(i) Tansen was worried and afraid after being asked to sing Raga Deepak. He requested the king
to allow him some time to prepare for it. In the meantime, he thought of a brilliant idea. He
taught Raga Megh to his daughter, Saraswati, and her friend, Rupvati for two weeks. He told
them that soon after he completes singing Raga Deepak, they should start singing Raga
Megh to bring rain and appease the effect of the heat.
(ii) Yes, Tansen’s plan worked perfectly. When he sang Raga Deepak, the surroundings became
warm - the leaves of trees dried up, birds fell dead, water of rivers began to boil, people were
terrified that flames shot up out of nowhere and lighted the lamps. Just then, Saraswati and
Rupvati began to sing Raga Megh, the sky filled with dark clouds and the rain came down
suddenly and this saved Tansen’s life and the surroundings from more damage.
Who I Am
Who I Am

A. Answer the following questions.
1. Peter’s favourite day of the week is Sunday because —————–————————————————————————
—————————————————–—
2. Nasir wants to learn ————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————––––––––
3. Dolma believes that she can make a good Prime Minister because ———————————
————————————————————————––————–————–––————––————––————––
Answer:
1. the whole family goes to the cinema hall to watch a film.
2. how to preserve seeds so that we can use them again instead of spending money every year.
3. everyone in her class asks her what to do if there is a problem, and her teacher also trusts her when
something needs to be done in the school.
B. Write True or False against each of the following statements.
1. Peter is an only child. ——————————
2. When Serbjit gets angry he shouts at people. ——————————
3. Nasir lives in the city. ——————————
4. Radha’s mother enjoys doing things with her. ——————————
Answer:
1. False
2. False
3. False
4. True
Fill in the blanks to name the different kinds of intelligence. One has been done for you.
When I enjoy listening to people and solving their problems I use my interpersonal intelligence.
(i) When I enjoy dancing or physical activity, I use my ————————————— intelligence.
(ii) When I enjoy looking at maps and examining pictures I use my ————————————— intelligence.
(iii) When I enjoy working with numbers and solving math problems I use my —————————————
intelligence.
(iv) When I enjoy telling a story or arguing, I use my ————————————— intelligence.
Who I Am
Answer:
(i) bodily
(ii) visual
(iii) mathematical
(iv) verbal
Match the following:
Navigator (a) Advises people what to do about jobs, personal problems, etc.
Architect (b) Works in politics, usually by standing for election.
Politician (c) Finds and monitors the route to get to a place, or the direction of
travel.
Engineer (d) Reports on recent news for newspaper, radio, or TV.
Computer (e) Plans the design of a building, town or city.

Programmer
Athlete (f) Controls and puts together a programme of music.
Disk Jockey (g) Works in sports or activities such as running, jumping, etc.
Composer (h) Designs and builds things like roads, bridges or engines.
Counsellor (i) Makes up notes to create music.
Journalist (j) Designs the system by which a computer runs or gives information.
Answer:
Who I Am
Navigator (c) Finds and monitors the route to get to a place, or the direction of
travel.
Architect (e) Plans the design of a building, town or city.
Politician (b) Works in politics, usually by standing for election.
Engineer (h) Designs and builds things like roads, bridges, or engines.
Computer (j) Designs the system by which a computer runs or gives information.
Programmer
Athlete (g) Works in sports or activities such as running, jumping, etc.
Disk Jockey (f) Controls and puts together a programme of music.
Composer (i) Makes up notes to create music.
Counsellor (a) Advises people what to do about jobs, personal problems, etc.
Journalist (d) Reports on recent news for newspaper, radio or TV.
Writing
Write a paragraph about yourself so that people who read it will get to know you better. You could write
about yourself from any point of view, or choose one of the following topics.
• What I enjoy doing most
• What makes me angry
• What I hate to do
• What I want to become
(Remember to give a reason or details of what you write about, so that anyone reading it will understand you
better.)
Who I Am
After you have finished your paragraph affix your photo on the sheet and display it on the wall. Read each
other’s paragraphs.
Did you understand someone else better after you had read what he/she wrote?
Answer:
I enjoy peace. Everyday I take time to sit and get a me-time. I do this on the terrace in the evening or in the
nearby park in the morning. Doing so, I do not use my earphones or mobile or anything.
In the morning, I just look at the birds flying around and the sun in the sky. I enjoy the sound of the birds
chirping and the leaves rustling against each other because of the peaceful breeze.
In the evening, I look at the stars and try to find out shapes they make.
Yes, the notes on the wall helped me to understand my friends better when I read what they had written.
Read these columns about careers in environment, that is, working to keep our world — the land, air, water
and the people, animals and plants — safe from natural and man-made dangers. Check out the personality
profiles needed to be successful at different kinds of careers in the environmental field. Find out whether
you are more adventurous than your partner, or whether your partner is a better inquirer than others. You
may wish to prepare a personality profile of yourself/your partner. In groups, attempt some of the activities
suggested at the end.
Word-finders group
1. Thinker becomes Tinker if we leave out an ‘h’. Who is a tinker?
2. Make a list of words that your classmates want to find out the meanings of. Then find out the meanings
by consulting a dictionary or asking your teacher. Tell your classmates what you have found out.
Answer:
1. Tinker is a person who makes a living by mending pans and other metallic things. Such a person travels
from place to place.
2. Do it yourself.
People-finders group
Find people in the jobs mentioned here. They may be people you know, or people mentioned in newspapers,
etc. Make a chart.
Picture-finders group
Get pictures or photographs of the kinds of people, subjects, activities, places, etc., mentioned above.
Speaking
A. Why does Radha’s mother tell her that it is not suitable for girls to climb trees? Find points to agree with
Radha or her mother.
Who I Am
Plan what you will say by making notes like this:

Girls should be able to climb trees if they wish
1. ———————————————————————————————————
2. ———————————————————————————————————
3. ———————————————————————————————————
Girls should not be allowed to climb trees
1. ———————————————————————————————————
2. ———————————————————————————————————
3. ———————————————————————————————————
Now divide the class into two groups. Present to the rest of the class the opinion of Radha who thinks there
is no harm in girls climbing trees and of her mother who thinks girls should not do this.
Answer: In my opinion,
Girls should be able to climb trees if they wish
1. Girls should be given a chance to do whatever they wish to.
2. Stopping girls from climbing a tree is an example of the patriarchal society where girls are considered
inferior to boys.
3. Change comes from small steps. Avoiding discrimination between boys and girls at a younger stage is
the way to make huge societal changes.
B. Sit in a circle so that you can see each other. Each one must talk to complete the following sentence in
your own way.
“What makes me very angry is …”
Remember to listen with respect and without comment to each person as he/she speaks.
Poem The Wonderful Words
The Wonderful Words

Question 1. With your partner, complete the following sentences in your own words using the ideas in the poem.
(i) Do not let a thought shrivel and die because ———————————
————————————————————————————––––————————
(ii) English is a ————————————————————— with words that everyone can play.
(iii) One has to match ————————————————————————————
(iv) Words are the —————————————————————of thought.
Answer:
(i) you do not know how to say it.
(ii) wonderful game
(iii) the words to the brightest thoughts in one’s head.
(iv) food and dress
Question 2. In groups of four discuss the following lines and their meanings.
(i) All that you do is match the words
To the brightest thoughts in your head
(ii) For many of the loveliest things
Have never yet been said
(iii) And everyone’s longing today to hear
Some fresh and beautiful thing
(iv) But only words can free a thought
From its prison behind your eyes
Answer:
(i) The given lines mean that when someone has a thought in one’s head and does not know how to say it, one should
just use English words to pick the most accurate words that express one’s thought in the best possible way.
(ii) Through these lines, the poet says that there are so many beautiful things that have never been written. It is wrong
to perceive that everything that is good has already been said by someone or the other.
(iii) A fresh thought or idea is always welcomed by people as everyone is waiting for it.
(iv) The human mind is a huge treasure where all thoughts and ideas take birth. To express those thoughts or ideas,
only words can help.
The Monkey and the Crocodile
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE
Questions
Question 1: The monkey was happy living in the fruit tree, but his happiness was not complete. What
did he miss?
Answer: The monkey was happy living in the fruit tree, but his happiness was not complete. He had no
companion to talk to or share fruits with. He felt lonely.
Question 2. What did the two friends generally talk about?
Answer: The two friends, the monkey and the crocodile, generally talked about birds and animals, and
the nearby villages. They also used to talk about the difficulties villagers faced in raising good crops
because of the lack of rain.
Question 3. Why was the crocodile’s wife annoyed with her husband one day?
Answer: Crocodile’s wife was annoyed with her husband one day because that day the crocodile came
home very late and she had to manage the little crocodiles all by herself.
Question 4. Why was the crocodile unwilling to invite his friend home?
Answer: The crocodile was unwilling to invite his friend home because his wife wanted to eat the
monkey’s heart. The crocodile did not want to betray his best friend. So, he refused to oblige her and
shouted angrily at her.
Question 5. What did the crocodile tell the monkey midstream?
Answer: The crocodile told the monkey midstream that he would have to go under water now so that
he could kill the monkey and give the monkey’s heart to his wife for a meal.
Question 6. How did the monkey save himself?
Answer: Although he was shocked and distressed, the monkey kept calm. He said that he would do
anything for the crocodile and his family. But unfortunately, he did not bring his heart along with him
and left it on the tree. The foolish crocodile believed the monkey and took him back to the tree. The
monkey jumped to the tree at once and thus, saved himself.
Question 7. What does the last sentence of the story suggest? What would the crocodile tell his wife?
Answer: The crocodile was sadder and wiser. He would have told his wife about all that happened and
how she broke a great friendship because of her insecurity and greed.
Fair Play
Fair Play
A. Match the sentences under I with those under II
I
1. Jumman and Algu were the best of friends.
2. Jumman’s aunt transferred her property to him.
3. The aunt decided to appeal to the panchayat.
4. Algu was unwilling to support the aunt.
5. Jumman was very happy to hear Algu’s name as head Panch.
II
1. He believed that his friend would never go against him.
2. She wanted justice.
3. In the absence of one, the other took care of his family.
4. The condition was that he would be responsible for her welfare.
5. The bond of friendship between him and Jumman was very strong.
Answer:
Jumman and Algu were the best of friends. In the absence of one, the other took care of his family.
Jumman’s aunt transferred her property to him. The condition was that he would be responsible for her
welfare.
The aunt decided to appeal to the panchayat. She wanted justice.
Algu was unwilling to support the aunt. The bond of friendship between him and Jumman was
very strong.
Jumman was very happy to hear Algu’s name as He believed that his friend would never go against him.
head Panch.
B. Who says this to whom and why?

1. “My wife knows best how to run the house.”
Fair Play
2. “But is it right, my son, to keep mum and not say what you consider just and fair?”
3. “What have you to say in your defence?”
4. “I can’t pay you a penny for the wretched beast you sold me.”
5. “Victory to the panchayat. This is justice.”
Answer:
1. Jumman says this to his aunt because his aunt was asking for a monthly allowance.
2. Jumman’s aunt says this to Algu because he was unwilling to support the aunt by going against Jumman.
3. Algu says this to Jumman when Algu is made a Panch by Jumman’s aunt. He said this because he wanted to be
unbiased.
4. Sahu said so to Algu because the bullock that Algu had given to Sahu died in a month and Sahu had not paid Algu
for the bullock.
5. Algu shouts this to the people around when Jumman gives a fair judgement.
C. Answer the following questions.
1. “Then the situation changed.” What is being referred to? (2)
Answer: The situation of the aunt in Jumman’s house changed. Earlier she was being taken care of but things changed
and she was ill-treated.
2. When Jumman’s aunt realised that she was not welcome in his house, what arrangement did she suggest? (3)
Answer: She suggested that she get a monthly allowance from Jumman as she could not handle the insult any more.
She wanted to cook separately.
3. What was the villagers’ reaction when the aunt explained her case to them? (4)
Answer: The villager’s gave mixed reactions. Some sympathized with her, some laughed at her and some others said
that she should try to make up with Jumman and his wife.
4. Why was Jumman happy over Algu’s nomination as head Panch? (6)
Answer: Jumman was happy over Algu’s nomination as head Panch because Algu was his friend and he knew that he
would not give a judgement that went against him.
5. “God lives in the heart of the Panch.” the aunt said. What did she mean? (6)
Answer: She meant to remind Algu that Panch holds a position equal to God so he should never be biased. He should
be just and fair.
6. What was Algu’s verdict as head Panch? How did Jumman take it? (7, 8)
Answer: Algu gave a verdict that shocked Jumman. He asked Jumman to pay a monthly allowance to his aunt.
Jumman was very upset at this judgement and he began to consider Algu as his enemy.
7. Algu found himself in a tight spot. What was his problem? (9)
Answer: Algu had sold a bullock to Sahu. Sahu had promised that he would pay for the bullock in a month. But the
bullock died within a month.
Algu found himself in a tight spot because Sahu refused to pay money for the bullock as it died.
8. Why was Algu upset over Jumman’s nomination as head Panch? (12, 13)
Fair Play
Answer: Algu was upset over Jumman’s nomination as head Panch because he was certain that Jumman would take
revenge of the judgement that Algu has given earlier.
9. What was Jumman’s verdict as head Panch? How did Algu take it? (14, 15)
Answer: When Jumman was made the head Panch, he thought for a while if he should take revenge. But he realized
that he was sitting in the position of a Panch. He had to be unbiased. Jumman’s verdict was that Sahu should pay Algu
the amount of the bullock.
Algu was extremely happy at the verdict. He began to shout that it was the victory of the Panchayat.
10. Which of the following sums up the story best?
(i) “I also know that you will not kill your conscience for the sake of friendship.”
(ii) “Let no one deviate from the path of justice and truth for friendship or enmity.”
(iii) “The voice of the Panch is the voice of God.”
Give a reason for your choice.
Answer: In my opinion, “Let no one deviate from the path of justice and truth for friendship or enmity” sums up the
story the best as it clearly shows why Jumman and Algu were not able to give wrong verdicts being at the position of
Panch. Justice should always prevail.
A. Replace the italicized portion of each sentence below with a suitable phrase from the box. Make necessary
changes, wherever required.
look after, swallow, make it up, keep mum, go into, ease one’s conscience, as ill luck would have it, a tight spot, take
chances, my heart sank
1. The best way to avoid an unnecessary argument is to remain silent.
2. Unfortunately, the train I was trying to catch was cancelled.
3. He has been told not to take risks while driving a car through a crowded street.
4. He has been told not to take risks while driving a car through a crowded street.
5. The patient needs to be properly taken care of.
6. Why don’t the two of you end your quarrel by shaking hands?
7. I was in a difficult situation till my friends came to my rescue.
8. When I saw a pile of dirty dishes, I felt very disappointed.
9. I will examine the matter carefully before commenting on it.
10. They criticized him in the meeting but he accepted without protest all the criticism.
11. It will free me from worry to know that I had done nothing wrong.
Answer:
1. The best way to avoid an unnecessary argument is to keep mum.
2. As ill luck would have it, the train I was trying to catch was cancelled.
3. He has been told not to take chances while driving a car through a crowded street.
Fair Play
4. He has been told not to take chances while driving a car through a crowded street.
5. The patient needs to be properly looked after.
6. Why don’t the two of you make it up by shaking hands?
7. I was in a tight spot till my friends came to my rescue.
8. When I saw a pile of dirty dishes, my heart sank.
9. I will go into the matter carefully before commenting on it.
10. They criticized him in the meeting but he swallowed all the criticism.
11. It will ease my conscience to know that I had done nothing wrong.
B. Look at the following phrases and their meanings. Use the phrases to fill in the blanks in the sentences given
below.
set up — put in place or start
set aside — save or keep for a particular purpose
set down — write or record
set out — start on a journey
set in — begin and seem likely to continue
1. Why don’t you ————————————— your ideas on paper?
2. A fund has been ————————————— for the soldiers’ families.
3. We should ————————————— a little money every month.
4. You should buy some woolens before winter ———————.
5. They ———————————— on the last stage of their journey.
Answer:
1. set down
2. set up
3. set aside
4. sets in
5. set out
Speaking and Writing
A. Look at the following picture. One asks a question, the other answers it. Then the answer is noted in a form as
shown below.
Fair Play
B. Work in small groups. Ask your partner the questions given below. If possible, ask him/her a reason for saying
Yes or No. Then tick Yes/No, whichever is proper.
1. Do you have a separate room for sleep and study? Yes/No
2. Would you prefer to live in a joint family? Yes/No
3. Do you get on with people? Yes/No
4. Do you like the area you live in? Yes/No
5. Do you find the place overcrowded? Yes/No
6. Do you use public transport? Yes/No
7. Would you like a vehicle of our own? Yes/No
8. Do you like reading? Yes/No
9. Would you like to be a teacher/doctor/engineer/architect? Yes/No
C. Now that you have completed the above project, write a brief report stating what you did, how you did it and the
conclusion.
Answer: I asked the above questions to my friend, and he gave me all the answers quite frankly. He told me the
reasons for his answers. My friend asked me the above questions as well. I too responded properly to him and told him
the reasons for yes or no.
Fair Play
This gave us a better understanding of what we like and what we don’t. Also, it let us know each other’s choices and
circumstances in a better way.
Dictation
Your teacher will speak the words listed below. Write against each a word of opposite meaning.
Examples: liquid solid
hard soft
1. old —————————————————
2. wet —————————————————
3. open —————————————————
4. blunt —————————————————
5. forget —————————————————
Answer:
1. old – new
2. wet – dry
3. open – close
4. blunt – sharp
5. forget – remember
The Wonder Called Sleep

Question 1:
What is the most obvious advantage of sleep?
Answer:
The most obvious advantage of sleep is that it helps our body recover from fatigue mainly caused by the
day’s activities. It helps us in relaxing our mind and gives rest to our exhausted body. We tend to
become alert and active after taking a nap and it prepares us to take on the normal activities of the day.
Question 2:
What happens to our body when we sleep?
Answer:
During sleep, the muscles of our body become relaxed, our heartbeat becomes slower and our
temperature and blood pressure also goes down.
Question 3:
Define a dream in your own words.
Answer:
Dream is an involuntary activity of the mind in which we see a succession of pictures, sensations and
emotions that usually occur during different phases of sleep.
Question 4:
Why are dreams important? Mention two reasons.
Answer:
Dreams are important mainly for two reasons. These include:
i) They help us to sleep through noise and other distractions.
ii) Sometimes they provide us solution to our certain mental problems.
Question 5:
Why has sleep been called a wonder?
Answer:
Sleep has been regarded as a wonder because nobody has been able to justify or explain what exactly
causes it. It is a state of unconscious rest that transports us to a world of dreams and helps us to escape
from the real world. Good sleep is often considered necessary for the optimal growth of physical, mental
and emotional development of a person.
Question 6:
Describe briefly to the class an improbable dream you have ever had.
Answer:
One night I dreamt that I had won a Jackpot of 10 million rupees in a lottery. I bought a luxurious car,
house and beautiful presents for my family members with the prize money. We went for a vacation to
Ladakh in our car. I was driving the car and suddenly I applied the brakes and we stopped with a jerk. I
was stunned and suddenly I found myself lying on my bed and realised that it was a dream.
(Note: Students can write this answer as per their personal experience).
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English - Unit 8 Poem
Vocation
Vocation
Working with the poem (Page 110-111)
Question 1:
Your partner and you may now be able to answer these questions.
(i) Who is the speaker in the poem? Who are the people the speaker meets? What are they doing?
(ii) What wishes does the child in the poem make? Why does the child want to be a hawker, a gardener,
or a watchman?
Pick out the lines in each stanza, which tell us this.
(iii) From the way the child envies the hawker, the gardener and the watchman, we can guess that there
are many things the child has to do, or must not do.
Make a list of the do’s and don’ts that the child doesn’t like.
The first line is done for you.
The child must The child must not
come home at a fixed time. get his clothes dirty in the dust.
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————— ———————————————————
Now add to the list your own complaints about the things you have to do, or must not do.
(iv) Like the child in the poem, you perhaps have your own wishes for yourself. Talk to your friend,
using “I wish I were…”
Answer:
(i) The speaker of the poem is a school-going child. Every day he happens to meet the hawker
who sells bangles, the gardener who digs the garden and a watchman who keeps a close
watch on the streets the whole night.
(ii) The child in the poem has an innocent mind. He watches all the people around him keenly.
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English - Unit 8 Poem
Vocation
He strongly wishes if he could lead his life his own way and enjoy the freedom just as a
hawker, a gardener or a watchman.
Firstly, on his way to school every day, he notices a hawker selling bangles and he wishes he
could spend all his day on the road crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”. He observes that the
hawker has nothing to hurry him, there is no fixed road he must take, no definite route he
must go to and no allocated time when he must return home. Seeing this liberty, the young
boy wishes he could become a hawker and enjoy all these things too.
Secondly, the boy meets a gardener who is busy digging away the garden with his spade. He
soils his clothes with dust and dirt and nobody scolds him for performing this task even if he
gets baked in the sun or gets wet in rain or sweat. Seeing this, the young boy wishes that he
could become a gardener so that nobody could scold him for digging the garden or for soiling
his clothes in dust or even get sweaty due to sunshine.
Thirdly, the boy sees a watchman through his open window who walks up and down in the
lonely dark lane and the street-lamp would stand like a giant with one red eye in
it’s head. He observes how the watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at
his side and he never goes to bed in his life. The young child wishes he could work like a
watchman so that even he could walk the streets all night and chase the shadows with his
lantern.
(iii)
The child must The child must not
Go to school on time Waste his time unnecessarily
Obey his parents and teachers Be ill-mannered or rude in behaviour

Go to school every day Get baked in the sun or wet in the rain
Wake up early in the morning Walk on the dark and lonely streets at
night
(iv) Attempt by yourself.
Question 2:
Find out the different kinds of work done by the people in your neighbourhood. Make different cards
for different kinds of work. You can make the card colourful with pictures of the persons doing the
work.
Answer:
A Game of Chance
A Game of Chance
Question A:
Complete the following sentences from memory choosing a phrase from those given in brackets.
1. ————————————— was held at the time of the Eid festival.
(A big show, A big fair, A big competition)
2. Tradesmen came to the village with all kinds of goods—————————————.
(to display, to buy, to sell)
3. Uncle told me ———————————————————————— while he was away.
(not to buy anything, not to go anywhere, not to talk to anyone)
4. The owner of the Lucky Shop wanted everybody present ——————————————————————.
(to play the game, to win a prize, to try their luck)
5. The first time I took a chance I got —————————————–—.
(a bottle of ink, two pencils, a trifle)
6. Uncle told me that the shopkeeper had made ————————.
(a fool of me, a good profit, friends with many people)
Answer:
1. A big fair was held at the time of the Eid festival.
2. Tradesmen came to the village with all kinds of goods to sell.
3. Uncle told me not to buy anything while he was away.
4. The owner of the Lucky Shop wanted everybody present to try their luck.
5. The first time I took a chance I got two pencils.
6. Uncle told me that the shopkeeper had made a fool of me.
Question B:
Answer the following questions.
1. Why do you think Rasheed’s uncle asked him not to buy anything in his absence? (3)
2. Why was the shop called ‘Lucky Shop’? (4)
3. An old man won a clock and sold it back to the shopkeeper. How much money did he make? (5)
4. How many prizes did the boy win? What were they? (6)
5. Why was Rasheed upset? (7, 8, 9)
6. In what way did the shopkeeper make a fool of Rasheed? (11)
Answer:
A Game of Chance
1. Rasheed’s uncle asked him not to buy anything in his absence because he was aware that the shopkeepers
could cheat him and take away all his money by tricking him.
2. The shop was called ‘Lucky Shop’ because it would tempt everyone to try their luck and win prizes.
3. The old man earned 15 rupees by selling the clock back to the shopkeeper.
4. The boy won four different prizes each time. These included a comb, a fountain pen, a wrist watch and a table
lamp.
5. Rasheed was upset because he hoped to win a big prize at the Lucky Shop, but he continued trying his luck
again and again. However, every time he just got a trifle. He played until he finished all his money. Seeing
this, some people were laughing at his bad luck, but nobody showed him any sympathy.
6. The shopkeeper tempted Rasheed to try his luck and made him believe that good luck could get him good
things, just like the old man and the other boy who had won in the lucky draw. Seeing this, Rasheed tried his
luck again and again until he lost all his money and won just a trifle every time. This way, the shopkeeper
tricked Rasheed and made a fool out of him.

Question A:
The words given against the sentences below can be used both as nouns and verbs. Use them appropriately to fill in the
blanks.
1. (i) The two teams have ————————————— three matches already. (play)
(ii) The last day’s ————————————— was excellent.
2. (i) She has a lovely ————————————— . (face)
(ii) India ———————————— a number of problems these days.
3. (i) He made his ————————————— in essay-writing. (mark)
(ii) Articles ————————————— ‘sold’ are reserved.
4. (i) The police are ————————————— the area to catch the burglars. (comb)
(ii) An ordinary plastic ————————————— costs five rupees.
5. (i) He gave a ————————————— in answer to my question. (smile)
(ii) We also ————————————— to see him smile.
6. (i) He said he ————————————— to be invited to the party. (hope)
(ii) We gave up ————————————— of his joining the party.
7. (i) The boys put up a good athletic————————————— . (show)
(ii) The soldiers ————————————— great courage in saving people from floods.
8. (i) You deserve a ————————————— on the back for your good performance. (pat)
(ii) The teacher ————————————— the child on the cheek to encourage her.
Answer:
1. (i) The two teams have played three matches already.
(ii) The last day’s play was excellent.
2. (i) She has a lovely face.
A Game of Chance
(ii) India faces a number of problems these days.

3. (i) He made his mark in essay-writing.
(ii) Articles marked ‘sold’ are reserved.
4. (i) The police are combing the area to catch the burglars.
(ii) An ordinary plastic comb costs five rupees.
5. (i) He gave a smile in answer to my question.
(ii) We also smiled to see him smile.
6. (i) He said he hoped to be invited to the party.
(ii) We gave up hope of his joining the party.
7. (i) The boys put up a good athletic show.
(ii) The soldiers showed great courage in saving people from floods.
8. (i) You deserve a pat on the back for your good performance.
(ii) The teacher patted the child on the cheek to encourage her.
Question B:
Notice the use of ‘there’ in the following sentences.
 There was a big crowd at the fair.

 There were many things I’d have liked to buy.
Now rewrite the following sentences using ‘there’ in the beginning. Look at the following examples.
 I can do nothing to help you.

 There is nothing I can do to help you.
 A man at the door is asking to see you.
 There is a man at the door asking to see you.
1. This park has beautiful roses.
2. Your story has no fun in it.
3. We have no secrets between us.
4. My village has two primary schools.
5. This problem can be solved in two ways.
Answer:
1. There are beautiful roses in this park.

2. There is no fun in your story.
3. There are no secrets between us.
4. There are two primary schools in my village.
5. There are two ways to solve this problem.
Question C:
A Game of Chance
Fill in the blanks in the paragraph below with words from the box.
huge big foolish interesting tiny unlucky last
There was a ————————————— Eid fair in our village. We could buy anything from a ————————
————— toy to a ————————————— camel. I went to the fair on its —————————————
day with Uncle and Bhaiya. We went to the Lucky Shop. It was very—————————————. I tried my luck
but did not win any prize. Later, Uncle told me that I was more ————————————— than ———————
——————.
Answer:
There was a huge Eid fair in our village. We could buy anything from a tiny toy to a big camel. I went to the fair on
its last day with Uncle and Bhaiya. We went to the Lucky Shop. It was very interesting. I tried my luck but did not win
any prize. Later, Uncle told me that I was more foolish than unlucky.
Speaking and Reading Aloud (Page 106-107)
Question A:
1. Suppose you are Rasheed. Describe in your own words your visit to the fair. Do not refer to the Lucky Shop.
2. Read aloud the two paragraphs that describe the boy and the old man at the Lucky Shop.
3. Listen to these children. What are they talking about?
Answer:
1. One fine day, my Uncle took me to a huge Eid fair. Our domestic help, Bhaiya, also went along with us. My
uncle met his friends at the fair and asked me to roam around with Bhaiya. He warned me not to buy anything
or go too far from that place. I promised to listen to his words. Bhaiya and I went from one shop to another and
enjoyed watching various things kept in those shops. Soon, my Uncle returned, and he bought me various gifts
from different shops. It was a wonderful visit to the Eid fair.
2. Activity to be done by yourself.
3. There is a conversation going on among three children. The first boy asks the other two boys whether they like
tea or coffee. The second boy mentions that he doesn’t like coffee, but he prefers tea. On the other hand, the
third boy mentions that he prefers coffee over tea.
Question B:
A Game of Chance
Work in pairs. One of you is an agent and the other is a client looking for accommodation in a hotel. Talk to each other.
Use the clues given below.
Answer:
1. I’d prefer a small but cozy accommodation.

2. I’d like to have a room of my own with a separate bed and bathroom.
I don’t think I’d like to share my room with anyone.
1. Yes, I do want a room with a television in it.

2. No, thanks. I don’t need a hired car.
No, I’d prefer a car of my own instead.
1. I’d like to stay in a fancy locality.

2. Yes, I must have a balcony attached to my room.
Yes, give me your contact number for further correspondence.

No, no other requirements.
A Game of Chance
Dictation (Page 108)

Question 1:
Some words are given below. Listen carefully to the word from the list the teacher speaks, and write against it another
word that has the same pronunciation but different spelling. The first is an example.
fair fare
buy
one
which
two
no
here
see
there
hare
nun
Answer:
fair fare
A Game of Chance
buy by
one won
which witch
two too
no know
here hear
see sea
there their
hare hair
nun none
A Pact with the Sun
A PACT WITH THE SUN
Questions
Question 1: What did the physicians ask Saeeda’s mother to do to get well? Did their advice help her?
If not, why?
Answer: The physicians asked Saeeda’s mother to avoid normal food. She was given strict orders to
stay confined to her small room with doors and windows fastened, in the lack of sunshine and fresh air
to breathe.
Question 2. What did the specialist prescribe in addition to medicine?
Answer: In addition to medicine, the specialist prescribed Saeeda’s mother to sit in the sun from eight
to nine in the morning. He said that sunshine and fresh air are more important than medicine.
Question 3. What did Saeeda tell the sunrays to do?
Answer: Saeeda requested the sunrays to appear the next day in the morning with lots of warmth and
brightness so that her mother could sit in the sun.
Question 4. Why were the sunrays keen to go down to the earth the next day?
Answer: The sunrays were keen to go down to the earth the next day because they had promised
Saeeda to help her mother get better. To keep their promise, they forced their way through the dark
clouds.
Desert Animals
Desert Animals
A. 1. Talk to your partner and say whether the following statements
are true or false.
(i) No animal can survive without water.
(ii) Deserts are endless sand dunes.
(iii) Most snakes are harmless.
(iv) Snakes cannot hear, but they can feel vibrations through the ground.
(v) Camels store water in their humps.
Answer:
(i) True
(ii) False
(iii) True
(iv) True
(v) False
A. 2. Answer the following questions.
(i) How do desert animals survive without water? (1)
(ii) How do mongooses kill snakes? (6)
(iii) How does the hump of the camels help them to survive when there is no water? (9)
Answer:
(i) Desert animals make it possible to survive without water for days. For instance, Gerbils stay under holes to keep
themselves cool. Beetles keep drops of water/moisture on their legs and then lift those drops into the air till the drops
trickle down into their mouths.
(ii) Mongooses kill snakes with their quick reactions through which they dodge the snake each time the snake strikes.
They keep dodging the snake until it gets completely tired and then they dive in to kill the snake.
(iii) The humps of the camels are full of fat. This fat nourishes the camels when food is less.
B. Read the words/phrases in the box. With your partner find their meaning in the dictionary.
harsh conditions, harmless, survive, intruder, threatened, predators, prey, continually
Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the above words/ phrases.
All animals in forests and deserts struggle to ——————————— in ————————————————,
Though most of the animals are ———————————, some are dangerous when ———————————. If
an ———————————— is noticed, they attack or bite to save themselves. They struggle ————————
——— for food and water. Some animals are called ————————————— because they ————————
—— on other animals.
Desert Animals
Answer: All animals in forests and deserts struggle to survive in harsh conditions. Though most of the animals
are harmless, some are dangerous when threatened. If an intruder is noticed, they attack or bite to save themselves.
They struggle continually for food and water. Some animals are called predators because they prey on other animals.
Speaking
 Deserts are the driest places on earth.

 Gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in cool underground burrows.
Now form pairs. Ask questions using a suitable form of the word in brackets. Try to answer the questions too.
Do you know
1. Which animal is the _______________________ (tall)?
2. Which animal runs the _______________________ (fast)?
3. Which place on earth is the _______________________ (hot) or the _______________________ (cold)?
4. Which animal is the _______________________ (large)?
5. Which is the ————————————— (tall) mountain in the world?
6. Which is the _______________________ (rainy) place on earth?
7. Which is the ________________________ (old) living animal?
Can you add some questions of your own?
Answer:
1. Which animal is the tallest (tall)?
Answer: Giraffe is the tallest animal.
2. Which animal runs the fastest (fast)?
Answer: Leopard runs the fastest.
3. Which place on earth is the hottest (hot) or the coldest (cold)?
Answer: Aziza, Libya is the hottest and Verkhoyansk is the coldest place on earth.
4. Which animal is the largest (large)?
Answer: Blue Whale is the largest animal.
5. Which is the tallest (tall) mountain in the world?
Answer: Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
6. Which is the rainiest (rainy) place on earth?
Answer: Mawsynram in Meghalaya is the rainiest place on earth.
7. Which is the oldest (old) living animal?
Answer: The giant tortoise is the oldest living animal.
Thinking about the language
Desert Animals
A. Look at these sentences.
 Most snakes are quite harmless, but a few are poisonous.

 Most snakes lay eggs, but the rattlesnake gives birth to its young.
Now write five sentences like these using ‘most’ and the clues below.
1. (90% of) people are honest (10%) are dishonest.
—————————————————————————————————————
2. (Lots of) fruit have plenty of sugar, (some) citrus fruit are low in sugar.
—————————————————————————————————————
3. (Every soft drink except this one) has lots of ‘empty calories’.
—————————————————————————————————————
4. (The majority of) films are romances, (a few) are on other topics.
—————————————————————————————————————
5. (A majority of) people agree that he is a good leader, (just a few) disagree.
—————————————————————————————————————
Answer:
1. Most people are honest, but a few are dishonest.
2. Most fruits have plenty of sugar, but a few citrus fruits are low in sugar.
3. Most soft drinks except this one has lots of empty calories.
4. Most films are romances, but a few are on other topics.
5. Most people agree that he is a good leader, but a few disagree.
B. Look at these sentences.
 Animals cannot survive for long without water.

 So desert animals have to find different ways of coping.
The first sentence says what cannot happen or be done; the second tells us what must, therefore, be done, what is
necessary to do.
Complete these sentences using cannot and have to/has to.
1. You —————————— reach the island by land or air; you —————————— go by boat.
2. We —————————— see bacteria with our eyes; we —————————— look at them through a
microscope.
3. He—————————— have a new bicycle now; he ——————— wait till next year.
4. Old people often —————————— hear very well; they ——————————use a hearing aid.
5. Road users —————————— do what they wish; they —————follow the traffic rules.
Desert Animals
6. She —————————— accept this decision; she ——————— question it.

7. You —————————— believe everything you hear; you —————————— use your own judgement.
Answer:
1. You cannot reach the island by land or air; you have to go by boat.
2. We cannot see bacteria with our eyes; we have to look at them through a microscope.
3. He cannot have a new bicycle now; he has to wait till next year.
4. Old people often cannot hear very well; they have to use a hearing aid.
5. Road users cannot do what they wish; they have to follow the traffic rules.
6. She cannot accept this decision; she has to question it.
7. You cannot believe everything you hear; you have to use your own judgement.
Writing
Imagine you are journeying through a desert. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you see and hear.
NCERT Solutions Class 6 English – Unit 9 Poem
Whatif
WHATIF
Question 1. (i) Who is the speaker in the poem?

(ii) With your partner list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.
(iii) Why do you think she/he has these worries? Can you think of ways to get rid of such worries?
Answer: (i) The speaker in the poem is the poet, Shel Silverstein.
(ii) The speaker is worried about the following things:

- What if he is dumb in the school?
- What if the swimming pool is closed?
- What if he gets beaten up?
- What if there is poison in his cup?
- What if bolt of lightning strikes him?
- What if he gets sick and dies?
- What if he doesn’t grow taller?
- What if his parents get divorced?
- What if his teeth don’t grow straight?
- What if he never learns to dance?
(iii) Such worries arise because of the fears in our mind. Some of such fears arise when we have seen
something similar happening around us.
Such fears and worries can be avoided by sheer will power and optimistic mindset.
Question 2. Read the following line.

Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear.
Can words crawl into your ear? This is an image. The poet is trying to make an image of what she/he
experiences. Now with your partner try and list out some more images from the poem.
Answer: Some of more such images from the poem are:

“And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song:”
“Everything seems swell, and then
The night-time Whatif strikes again!”
Question 3. In groups of four discuss some more ‘whatifs’ that you experience in your day to day life
and list them out.
(i) —————————————————————————————————
(ii) —————————————————————————————————
(iii) —————————————————————————————————
(iv) —————————————————————————————————
(v) —————————————————————————————————
(vi) —————————————————————————————————
And now write a poem of five or six lines with the ‘whatifs’ that you have listed.
What Happened To The Reptiles
Question 1:
In what way is Pambupatti different from any other village?
Answer:
People in Pambupatti lived peacefully as they did not fight or get involved in communal riots in the
name of religion or language. This proved that Pambupatti was not like any other village, but different
from them.
Question 2:
Why is Prem determined not to return to his village?
Answer:
Prem was determined not to return to his village because communal riots of hate and violence was
happening in his village. He and other villagers felt that it was unsafe for them to reside in the village
where houses were being burnt in fire and people were killing each other and getting involved in
communal violence.
Question 3:
Why did Makara dislike tortoises, snakes and lizards? Write a line about each.
Answer:
Makara disliked tortoises because they were slow and stupid, who carried their houses on their backs.
Makara disliked snakes because they were slimy, made funny noises and were poisonous in nature.
Makara disliked lizards because they had the strangest habits such as changing colour which made
them unreliable.
Question 4:
What went wrong when the tortoises, snakes and lizards left the forest?
Answer:
When the tortoises, snakes and lizards left the forest, it was going through a tough phase. The forest
filled with a rotting smell of fruits and animals due to the absence of the tortoises. Once the snakes left,
the forest was taken over by the rats as there was no one to eat them. Finally, the nasty insects grew
bigger and multiplied in millions due to the absence of the lizards.
Question 5:
Why do you think Prem wants to tell the story of the reptiles to the people of his village?
Answer:
Prem wanted to tell the story of the reptiles to the people of his village because he understood that they
had unnecessarily involved themselves in communal violence. He wanted the people of his village to live
peacefully and maintain law and order. The story of the reptiles underlined the significance of living
together in peace and harmony like Pambupatti.
Question 6:
Do you agree that it is difficult not to go along with someone who is very strong and powerful? Express
your views frankly and clearly.
Answer:
On a general note, common people are peace-loving, weak and submissive in nature. Most of them do
have fear of the strong and powerful people due to their tyranny and unjust exercise of authority. It is
an obvious human nature of ordinary people to adhere to the interests of the strong lot in order to
maintain their own safety and security. But if such common people raise their bar by standing up
against the bully and start voicing their opinion against the tyrants, they are likely to suppress the
oppression and maintain peace and harmony in the society.
Question 7:
If you were a baby crocodile, would you tell Makara that he was wrong? What would you say to convince
him?
Answer:
Being a baby crocodile, I would definitely explain to Makara the consequences, the forest might face if
the other reptiles left it. Besides, I would also mention that every living organism has the right to live on
his own wherever he wants. It is therefore, imperative for the strong people to protect the ordinary
masses and not take undue advantage of their weaknesses. Therefore, every living being is
interdependent upon each other and have a vital role to play to maintain the ecological balance in the
beautiful environment of the Earth.
The Banyan Tree
The Banyan Tree

Question A:
Complete the following sentences.
1. The old banyan tree “did not belong” to grandfather, but only to the boy, because
————————————————————————————————————————————————
————
2. The small gray squirrel became friendly when ————————— ———————————————————
——————————————————
3. When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel —————————————————
————————————— ——————————————————————————————————
———
4. In the spring, the banyan tree —————————————–, and —————————————– would come
there.
5. The banyan tree served the boy as a —————————————–—–—————————————————
————————————————————
6. The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree —————————————–—————————————–—
————————————–———–––—
Answer:
1. The old banyan tree “did not belong” to grandfather, but only to the boy, because his grandfather was sixty-five
years old and could no longer climb it.
2. The small grey squirrel became friendly when he found that the boy did not arm himself with catapult or air gun.
3. When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel grew quite bold and was soon taking
morsels from his hand.
4. In the spring, the banyan tree was full of small red figs, and birds of all kinds would come there.
5. The banyan tree served the boy as a library where he had made a crude platform to sit and read books.
6. The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree when it was not too hot, leaning against it and reading story books.
Question B:
Answer the following questions.
1. “It was to be a battle of champions.”(8)
(i) What qualities did the two champions have? Pick out words and phrases from the paragraph above this line in the
text and write them down.
Mongoose Cobra
The Banyan Tree
(a) (a)
(b) (b)
(c) (c)
(ii) What did the cobra and the mongoose do, to show their readiness for the fight?
Answer:
1. (i)
Mongoose Cobra
(a) superb fighter (a) skilful
(b) clever (b) experienced fighter
(c) aggressive (c) swift
(ii) To show the readiness for their fight, the cobra hissed defiantly with his forked tongue darting in and out; he raised
half its total length off the ground and spread his broad, spectacled hood. On the other hand, the mongoose bushed his
tail, and the long hair on his spine stood up.
2. Who were the other two spectators? What did they do? (Did they watch, or did they join in the fight?) (10)
Answer:
The other two spectators were a myna and a jungle crow. They settled on the cactus to watch the outcome. They were
not content only to watch the fight. They took part in the proceedings and hurled themselves at the cobra.
3. Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in the proper
order. (11, 16)
The Banyan Tree
Answer:
Snake Mongoose
(ii) tried to mesmerize the mongoose refused to look into the snake’s eyes
(vi) struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack pretended to attack the cobra on one side
(v) struck again and missed sprang aside, jumped in and bit
(iv) struck the crow darted away and bit the cobra on the back
(iii) coiled itself around the mongoose grabbed the snake by the snout
The Banyan Tree
(i) ceased to struggle dragged the snake into the bushes
4. (i) What happened to the crow in the end? (16)

(ii) What did the myna do finally? (17)
Answer:
1. Towards the end of the fight, the crow flung nearly twenty feet across the garden as the cobra whipped his
head back and struck with great force. His snout thudded against the crow’s body and it fluttered about for a
while, then it lay still and dead.
2. The myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance and
then with a shrill cry of congratulation flew away.

Question A:
1. The word ‘round’ usually means a kind of shape. What is its meaning in the story?
Answer:
The word ‘round’ in the story denotes the different courses of the fight that took place between the snake and the
mongoose.
2. Find five words in the following paragraph, which are generally associated with trees. But here, they have been used
differently. Underline the words.
Hari leaves for work at nine every morning. He works in the local branch of the firm of which his uncle is the owner.
Hari’s success is really the fruit of his own labour. He is happy, but he has a small problem. The root cause of his
problem is a stray dog near his office. The dog welcomes Hari with a loud bark every day.
Answer:
Hari leaves for work at nine every morning. He works in the local branch of the firm of which his uncle is the owner.
Hari’s success is really the fruit of his own labour. He is happy, but he has a small problem. The root cause of his
problem is a stray dog near his office. The dog welcomes Hari with a loud bark every day.
Question B:
The words in the box are all words that describe movement. Use them to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
dived gliding sprang darting
whipped…back delving
1. When he began to trust me, the squirrel began ————————— into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra ——————————— out of a clump of cactus.
3. The snake hissed, his forked tongue ———————— ———— in and out.
4. When the cobra tried to bite it, the mongoose —————————— aside.
The Banyan Tree
5. The snake ——————————— his head ——————————— to strike at the crow.

6. The birds ——————————— at the snake.
Answer:
1. When he began to trust me, the squirrel began delving into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus.
3. The snake hissed, his forked tongue darting in and out.
4. When the cobra tried to bite it, the mongoose sprang aside.
5. The snake whipped his head back to strike at the crow.
6. The birds dived at the snake.
Question C:
Find words in the story, which show things striking violently against each other.
1. The cobra struck the crow, his snout th — — — ing against its body. (15)
2. The crow and the myna c — ll — — — — in mid-air. (13)
3. The birds dived at the snake, but b — — — — d into each other instead. (14)
Answer:
1. The cobra struck the crow, his snout thudding against its body.
2. The crow and the myna collided in mid-air.
3. The birds dived at the snake, but bumped into each other instead.
Question D:
The Banyan Tree
Choose would and could to replace the italicised words in the following sentences.
Grandfather says, in the old days,
1. elephants were able to fly in the sky, like clouds. They were also able to change their shapes. They used to fly
behind clouds and frighten them. People used to look up at the sky in wonder.
2. because there was no electricity, he used to get up with the sun, and he used to go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. like the owl, he was able to see quite well in the dark. He was able to tell who was coming by listening to their
footsteps.
Answer:
1. elephants could fly in the sky, like clouds. They could also change their shapes. They would fly behind clouds and
frighten them. People would look up at the sky in wonder.
2. because there was no electricity, he would get up with the sun, and he would go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. like the owl, he could see quite well in the dark. He could tell who was coming by listening to their footsteps.
Speaking (Page 135-137)
Question 1:
 The tree was older than Grandfather.

 Grandfather was sixty-five years old.
How old was the tree? Can you guess?
The Banyan Tree
 The tree was as old as Dehra Dun itself.

Suppose Dehra Dun is 300 years old. How old is the tree?
 Probably, the tree was 300 years old too.

When two things are the same in some way, we use as…as.
Here is another set of examples.
 Mr Sinha is 160 centimetres tall.

 Mr Gupta is 180 centimetres tall.
 Mrs Gupta is 160 centimetres tall
 Mrs Gupta is as tall as Mr Sinha.
Use the words in the box to speak about the people and the things below, using as…as or -er than
tall – taller cold – colder hot – hotter
strong – stronger short – shorter
(Notice that in the word ‘hot’, the letter ‘t’ is doubled when -er is added.)
The Banyan Tree
The Banyan Tree
Answer:
1. (i) Zeba is as tall as Rani.
(ii) Zeba is taller than Ruby.

(iii) Rani is taller than Ruby.
(iv) Ruby is shorter than Rani as well as Zeba.
1. (i) Vijay is as strong as Akshay.
(ii) Anwar is stronger than Akshay as well as Vijay.

(iii) Neither Akshay nor Vijay is as strong as Anwar.
1. (i) Shimla is as cold as Gangtok.

The Banyan Tree
(ii) Srinagar is colder than Shimla and Gangtok.

(iii) Neither Gangtok nor Shimla is as cold as Srinagar.
1. (i) Romi’s pencil is as long as Raja’s pencil.
(ii) Mona’s pencil is longer than Romi’s pencil and Raja’s pencil.
(iii) Neither Romi’s pencil or Raja’s pencil is as long as Mona’s pencil.
1. (i) Delhi is as hot as Nagpur.
(ii) Chennai is not as hot as Delhi or Nagpur.

(iii) Delhi is hotter than Chennai.
(iv) Nagpur is hotter than Chennai.
Writing (Page 138)
Question 1:
‘My Favourite Place’
Read again the paragraphs of the story in which the author describes the banyan tree, and what he used to do there. Is
there a place in your house, or in your grandparents’ or uncles’ or aunts’ houses, that you specially like? Write a short
paragraph about it, saying
• where it is
• what you do there
• why you like it
You may instead write about a place you dislike, or are afraid of.
Answer:
My favourite place in my house is the balcony that is attached to my bedroom. There is a huge window in my room that
overlooks the garden outside. I usually stand on the balcony and enjoy the beautiful view of the garden. Every morning
sunshine peeps through my window and lights up my room. Sometimes, a cool breeze blows inside my room, making it
airy. I have a desk next to my window and I sit and do my homework and lessons there. I simply love my room, from
where I can enjoy the beauty of nature every single day.
(Note: For the second part of the question, students can write about their personal experience).
A Strange Wrestling Match
A STRANGE WRESTLING MATCH
Questions
Question 1: What was Vijay Singh’s weakness? Which awkward situation did it push him
into?
Answer: Vijay Singh’s weakness was that he was fond of boasting. He boasted that he wished that he
met a ghost and taught him a lesson. This pushed him to an awkward situation where he was suggested
to go to the Haunted Desert where he could find ghosts.
Question 2. Was the old woman’s gift to Vijay Singh eccentric? Why?
Answer: The old woman gifted a lump of salt and an egg to Vijay Singh. Yes, the gift was eccentric
because Vijay Singh could not understand what the purpose of such a gift was on a desert.
Question 3. Why did Vijay Singh ask the ghost disguised as Natwar to come closer?
Answer: Vijay Singh asked the ghost disguised as Natwar to come closer so that he could size up his
enemy like all other good wrestlers.
Question 4. What made the ghost speechless? Why?
Answer: Vijay Singh pretended to be brave. He looked at Natwar’s face and said that he was a plain,
lying ghost. This made the ghost speechless because people used to get afraid when they saw him but
here, Vijay Singh was brave and confident.
Question 5. Why did Vijay Singh say “Appearances can be deceptive”?
Answer: Vijay Singh said that “Appearances can be deceptive” because he wanted to insult the ghost.
He wanted to show the ghost that he was very confident and strong to make the ghost lose.
Questions
Question 1: How did Vijay Singh use the egg? How did he use the lump of salt?
Answer: Vijay Singh handed over a rock to the ghost and asked him to squeeze it. He told the ghost
that the rock was full of fluid. The ghost was unable to squeeze the rock. Then, Vijay Singh insulted the
ghost and carefully took the egg in his hand and took the rock from the ghost. He squeezed the egg, the
yellow fluid dripped down and made the ghost think that he actually squeezed the rock.
Then Vijay Singh challenged the ghost to crush another rock. This time, he said that it was nothing but
salt. The ghost could not crush the rock. Then Vijay Singh took the lump of salt from his pocket and the
rock from the ghost in his hand. He crumbled the lump of salt and let the rock drop into the darkness.
Thus, Vijay Singh showed that he was way more powerful than the ghost.
Question 2. Why did Vijay Singh conclude that the ghost would not be a worthy opponent to him?
Was he fair in his judgement?
Answer: Vijay Singh concluded that the ghost would not be a worthy opponent to him as he could not
perform any of the challenges that Vijay Singh threw on him- neither could he crush the rock full of
fluid nor he could crumble the rock made of salt.
No, he was not fair in his judgement because he used unfair tricks to prove that he was more powerful
than the ghost.
Question 3. Why did Vijay Singh ask the ghost to accompany him to town next day?
Answer: Vijay Singh asked the ghost to accompany him to town next day so that he could boast that he
claimed victory even in a fight with a ghost. He wanted the ghost to accompany him as his prisoner.
Question 4. What made the ghost believe Vijay Singh was dead?
Answer: There was no sound or groan in response to the ghost’s beating on the bolster which he
thought to be Vijay Singh. This made the ghost believe that Vijay Singh was dead.
Question 5. Vijay Singh complained of insects in the cave. What was he referring to, and why?
Answer: Thinking that Vijay Singh was sleeping on the bed, the ghost had beaten him seven times with
his stout club.
Vijay Singh complained that some insect flapped him with its wings seven times. He did so to prove that
he was so powerful that those beatings with the stout club were as powerless as an insects flap.
Question 6. Was it really a ghost who Vijay Singh befooled? Who do you think it was?
Answer: No, it was not really a ghost who Vijay Singh befooled. I think he was a fraudulent human
who used to trick people into thinking that he was a ghost. Taking advantage of their fear, he would loot
them of their possessions.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Unit 1

Who Did Patrick’s Homework?

Who Did Patrick’s Homework?

Working with language (Page 11-12)

out of luck mystery true to his word chores

semester between you and me look up

Speaking (Page 13)

(not) be fond of (not) take to (not) develop a liking for

(not) appeal to (not) be keen on (not) have a taste for

support assist with the aid of

help be a boon give a boost to

Writing (Page 13-14)

• The man of the smallest size

• Patrick loved to play sports, not work

• The elf promised to help and wore a high tall hat

• “Homework is too boring,” he said.

A Tale Of Two Birds

(i) A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

(ii) One is known by the company one keeps.

(iii) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

How the Dog Found Himself a New Master!

• mouse changed into a girl by a magician…

THE FRIENDLY MONGOOSE

Question 3. What was the farmer’s comment on his wife’s fears?

1. Mark the right item.

1. Taro earned very little money because

thoughtful hardworking loving honest

considerate trustworthy efficient kind

1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”

young sad money chop lung last

wax could bad sound axe wood

way stop sunny fast round day

lonely little hard young

thoughtful delicious beautiful

A ——————–— woodcutter lived on a ——————–— hillside. He was a ——————–——— son who

(iv) He began to chop even ——————–———. (4)

cooking fishing playing football

knitting dancing listening to music

reading sewing mountain climbing

walking swimming learning languages

painting watching TV stamp collecting

1. fell out – quarrelled or argued.

The Shepherd’s Treasure

(i) he was very poor.

(ii) there were very few schools in those days.

(iii) he wasn’t interested in studies.

Choose the right answer.

(ii) Why did the shepherd always carry it?

(iii) Is it an example of the shepherd’s humility or wisdom or both?

An Indian – American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla

Working with the text

unprecedented space something that causes feelings of respect and wonder

certified flight instructor having knowledge of a wide variety of subjects

space mission nowadays, in these times

super specialisation a set of jobs to be done in space by a group

awe-inspiring a sad accident of a kind that has never happened

in this age great expertise in a limited field or a particular subject

unprecedented space a sad accident of a kind that has never happened