NCERT Class 8 English Part 1

Foreword...
iii
NOTES FOR THE TEACHER (UNITS 1-3)
1.
1-8
The Best Christmas Present

in the World
The Ant and the Cricket
21
2.
The Tsunami
Geography Lesson
24
34
3.
Glimpses of the Past

Macavity : The Mystery Cat
36
50
NOTES FOR
THE
TEACHER (UNITS 4-7)
53-59
4.
Bepin Choudhurys Lapse of Memory

The Last Bargain
60
74
5.
The Summit Within

The School Boy
76
84
6.
This is Jodys Fawn

The Duck and the Kangaroo
87
97
7.
A Visit to Cambridge
When I set out for Lyonnesse
NOTES FOR
THE
TEACHER (UNITS 8-10)
100
109
111-112
8.
A Short Monsoon Diary

On the Grasshopper and Cricket
113
122
9.
The Great Stone FaceI
124
The Great Stone FaceII
132
10.
General
Learning a language means using it for a wide variety of
purposes. Language is best acquired when attention is focused
on meaning, not on form.
Words and phrases not closely related to objects and action
remain empty and lifeless to young learners. Language comes
alive when presented in meaning-making contexts.
Words/phrases that are used to accomplish many useful
purposes follow a certain system inherent in the language itself.
Learners become familiar with the system through continuous
exposure to the language in meaning-focused situations.
Interaction, discussion and sharing of ideas among learners
provide opportunities that elicit real information about them
and their experiences and opinions.
Encourage learners to work in pairs and small groups and let
them go beyond the textbook by providing a variety of
language inputs for spontaneous and natural use of language.
Build on the exercises given in the textbook and design more
tasks/activities in keeping with learners interests, needs and
surroundings. Employ free-response exercises (with more than
one possible response).
Promote reading habits through story reading (not merely
teaching stories as texts), story retelling, choral reading, shared
reading, etc.
Create class libraries for exchange of books and shared
reading. The library may also move with children to the next
higher class.
Poems need not be taught line by line, word by word. You may
give a model reading but let every child read the poem on her/his
own to feel the richness of language, rhythm and music of words.
Exercises accompanying the poem are more for understanding
the poem as a whole than for teaching language items.
Encourage learners to tell new stories, narrate anecdotes,

compose short poems in English or their own language, talk
about pictures, illustrations in the book and cartoons in
newspapers/magazines. Dont get anxious about the errors they
will make. Constant exposure, practice and correction in the
form of feedback will help them improve themselves by and by.
Every page has a column for words and meanings. Encourage
children to write down other words they find difficult, along
with their meanings, in this column.
UNITS 1-3
The Best Christmas Present in the World

Some suggestions given below are applicable to all prose lessons
in the book.
A war story against the backdrop of Christmas, a festival
marked by family reunion, exchange of presents and universal
bonhomie. Connie, aged 101, receives a present from a stranger
whom she mistakes for her long-awaited husband. What is
the present the letter or the mistaken identity of the visitor?
Spend about 20 minutes discussing the dates and events given
under Before you read. Since the answers are given later in
the book, the focus should be on the nature of each event
whether, in human terms, the event recalls defeat and
destruction or endeavour and success. Let children express
their own views. Even if their observations do not reveal any
understanding of the nature of events, the discussion session
will provide an excellent base for initiating work on the story
under reference.
The story is sectioned into three parts. Parts II and III may be
sectioned further according to convenience and time available.
Discuss each illustration with reference to the story.
Illustrations are given for better comprehension and sharper
visual appeal.
Comprehension Check at the end of each section is a recall of

what children have read so far. Design while-reading
comprehension exercises in the form of factual comprehension
questions, multiple choice questions and/or completion of
sentences, etc.
Honeydew
Here is one example in three formats:

Factual or inferential comprehension (Answer the question
in your own words.)
Why is Jim ashamed to say that Fritz began it?
Multiple choice (Mark the right answer.)
Jim is ashamed to say that Fritz began it because
(i) he didnt know how to do it.
(ii) he wishes he had done it first.
(iii) he didnt want to do it.
Sentence completion : (Choose the right item and complete
the sentence.)
But it is true, _______________ that Fritz began it.
(much to my delight / shame / dismay)
A related item here is the use of begin and start in appropriate
contexts.
Use begin or start appropriately in the following sentences.
(i) What time do you _________ work in the morning?
(ii) If we want to get there, we should ___________ now.
(iii) The film ___________ at 7 pm.
(iv) No matter how you try, the car wont ___________.
Very often begin and start can be used in the same way,
though start is more common in informal speech. [See
sentences (i) and (iii)]
In some constructions only start can be used. [See
sentences (ii) and (iv)].
Questions under working with the text to be answered orally,
later to be written in the copy book.
At the end of the lesson, draw childrens attention to the two
quotations given in the box. Let them discuss how the story
illustrates the same ideas. Then, ask them to find sentences in
the story which appeal to them most. Here are some examples:
We agreed about everything and he was my enemy.
No one dies in a football match. No children are orphaned.
No wives become widows.
I know from all that happened today how much both armies
long for peace. We shall be together again, Im sure of it. (Its
a good example of the use of irony in the story.)
Notes for the Teacher

Spend about 15 minutes eliciting, and listening to, fables or
fable-like stories from children, preferably in their own
language(s). Help them retell one or two in English by providing
appropriate words and phrases.
The story about the Sun and the Wind at the end of Glimpses
of the Past may be used here. Ask them if its a fable, though
there are no animals in it.
Try the following writing task.
Rearrange the following sentences to construct a story. Start
with sentence 4.
1. One cold day, a hungry grasshopper came to the anthill
and begged for a little something to eat.
2. He replied, Alas! I spent all my time singing and playing
and dancing, and never thought about winter.
3. One ant asked him how he had spent his time during
summer and whether he had saved anything for winter.
4. A nest of ants had been occupied all through the summer
and autumn collecting food for winter.
5. They carefully stored it in the underground chambers of
their home.
6. Then we have nothing to give you.
7. Thus, when winter came, they had plenty to eat.
8. People who play and sing all summer should only dance
in winter.
9. The ant answered.
Find three adjectives in the first stanza associated with summer
and spring.
Find four phrases/lines in the same stanza associated with
the onset of winter.
Suppose the last line of the first stanza were to be rewritten as
Oh! What will become of me? Says the cricket. Would you
find it acceptable in the poem? If not, why not?
Speak the words given below. Ask children to write the word,
and against it two new words that rhyme.
Honeydew
sing ____________ ___________
crumb ____________ ___________

through ____________ ___________
wished ____________ ___________
(Last sound in crumb is m. In wished it is t.)
Activity 4 under working with language needs patience and
time. Punctuation in writing sentences is an important teaching
point. Since the activity is to be taken up in groups, there will
be several versions of each sentence to begin with. Encourage
children to discuss why only one version is grammatically
acceptable and not the other.
The Tsunami
A natural calamity causing huge destruction and loss of life
and property. Alongside the story of deep sorrow are reassuring
details of courage, survival and resilience.
While covering sections and sub sections of the text, focus on
situations in which children realise the importance of doing
whatever possible to save human and animal life, to participate
in relief work and to understand the concept of disaster
management.
Elicit their comments on, and reactions to, the stories of
Meghna and Almas. Focus on values such as courage, care
and compassion in the bitter struggle for survival and
rehabilitation.
The activity under Before you read is like an elementary
geography lesson. Map reading along with language work
(asking/answering questions, spotting location/ direction and
describing them with precision) is a good example of softening
subject boundaries and conforming to the idea of language
across the curriculum. Use other maps from the geography/
history textbook for further practice.
While dealing with Active/Passive voice (working with
language: Activity 3), provide samples of texts exemplifying
the use of passive voice such as short newspaper reports and
descriptions of processes/experiments. As far as possible, avoid
a mechanical transformation exercise confined to isolated
sentences. Try a simple exercise given here.
Complete the passage using passive forms of the verbs given

in brackets.
Olive oil ________ (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc.
Olives_____ (pick) in autumn when they are ripe. They
______(shake) from the trees and ________ (gather) up, usually
by hand. Then they _______ (grind) to a thick paste which
_______ (spread) onto special mats. The mats then ______ (layer)
up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to
produce olive oil.
The last activity under speaking and writing is a step towards
reducing the gap between childrens life at school and their
life outside the school.
Geography Lesson
Children already know words like aeroplane, airport, etc.
Draw their attention to words like jetliner, jet engine and
jetlag in the following activity.
(i) Match items under A with those under B
A
B
Jetliner
Fatigue/tiredness after a long flight
Jetlag
rich social group flying around the
world for business or pleasure
Jet engine
aircraft powered by a jet engine
(the) jet set engine that emits high-speed hot
gases at the back when it moves
forward.
(ii) Check the meaning of jet black and jetsam in the
dictionary. Complete the idiom : jetsam and _________
Today, if there is a border dispute or any other contentious
issue between two countries, an organisation called the United
Nations acts as a mediator to keep peace and order in the world.
Encourage children to gather information about the UN and its
constituent bodies.
Peace Memorial Park is the only park of its kind in the world.
It is in Hiroshima, Japan, and marks the spot where the first
atomic bomb was dropped on ___________ (Children will
remember the date and event if they recall the activity under
Honeydew
Before you read in The Best Christmas Present in the World).

A mini project could be planned on this.
Ask children to draw a map of their locality/village depicting
its physical features and distances between places, etc.
Recite and write on the blackboard the following poem and
discuss the items given at the end of the poem.
Wake
gently this morning
to a different day.
Listen
There is no bray
of buses,
no horns blow.
There is only
the silence
of a city
hushed
with snow.
Name a few cities in India which the poem reminds you of.
Which words/phrases in the poem evoke images different from
those suggested by the silence of the city?

Glimpses of the history of our country to be understood
through pictures with strips of text for support. Children have
a natural enthusiasm for this kind of material in the textbook.
Children may read the comic strip aloud. Then they break up
into small groups, discuss what they have read and write a
summary. Each group presents its summary one by one. The
whole class then enters into a general discussion, and a
consolidated draft of the composition is prepared with the active
support of the teacher.
Conversely, divide the class into small groups. Let each group
look at and describe a set of pictures (assigned to them) and
construct their own text. Texts thus produced can be put
together to form a coherent story, to be edited for accuracy.
If necessary, texts may first be produced in the childs own

language and the teacher can help them to reformulate these
in English. For children fluent in English, this may be an
opportunity to formulate equivalent texts in their own
languages.
Some details of each glimpse of the past may be had from the
history textbook of the same class. The history teacher may
be invited to facilitate the activity.
Picture reading under speaking and writing to be attempted
in the same manner.
Creating a comic (Activity 5) will be great fun if children can be
persuaded to draw/learn to draw matchstick figures. Enlist
the help of the art teacher.
Macavity The Mystery Cat

Have you ever wondered why people generally communicate
with their pet dog mainly in English?
What would you say to persuade your cat to leave the mouse
alone? Try to say it in English.
Which sentence about Macavity has been repeated four times
in the poem? Why has it been repeated? Think about it.
Mention a couple of crimes discovered in the kitchen, and
your Macavity was nowhere to be seen.
a fiend in feline shape
Does it remind you of a similar expression about a wolf? What
is it, and what does it mean?
Here are four lines about someones cat. Read them and say
whether it is a mystery cat.
My kitten walks on velvet feet
And makes no sound at all.
And in the doorway nightly sits
To watch the darkness fall.
Honeydew
UNITS 4-7

A Satyajit Ray story with a surprise ending that brings in its wake
the much needed psychological relief to the sophisticated executive
beleagured by a conspiracy, which is a humorous take after all.
Before asking children to read the text, tell the story part by part,
each part ending where the listener wonders what comes next.
Activity 3 under working with language is about two tense
forms simple past and present perfect. Notice how both
have been used in conjunction with each other. The following
explanatory notes may be useful.
The present perfect tense is used to refer to an action
initiated and completed in the past and is associated with
the present. It has its effect on the present situation.
I have seen the Taj. (I know what it looks like.)
He has arrived. (He is here.)
I have finished my work. (I am free now.)
Present perfect tense is usual with already, so far,not yet, ever,
never etc.
It is not used with ago, yesterday, last week/month/year, etc.
The Last Bargain

Here is a method of teaching that may be tried.
(a) Let children read the first stanza silently.
Ask the following questions.
(i) How many persons/characters are there?
(ii) Who are they?
(iii) Who is big and who is small?
(iv) What does the person in the first line say?
(v) What does the other one in the fourth line say?
(vi) Do they stay together or part company? Why?
(b) Now reconstruct the episode. Begin like this.

I was walking on the road looking for work. I saw the king in
his chariot. He had a sword in his hand. He was very kind to
me. He shook my hand and offered to hire me. I did not
accept his offer. To me, power is not a valuable thing. It is not
permanent. It wont make me happy. I was looking for
something else as a reward for my work.
What is he looking for?
Let us read the next stanza.
(c) Do the other stanzas in the same way.
The clue to what the person is looking for lies in the last line.
The operative phrases are the childs play and a free man.
The child and her/his play is a metaphor for innocence and inward
happiness, which gives this person a sense of fulfilment and
freedom from stress and strife. He feels genuinely free and happy
in the company of the child.
Recite each stanza with feeling, pausing at the right places.
The method suggested may work better for a poem with a story.
The Summit Within

Adventure and the world of nature the arduous task of
reaching the highest summit in the world makes the climber
reflect on the internal summits which are, perhaps, higher
than the Everest. The text underscores the physical, emotional
and spiritual aspects of the adventure in a single perspective.
Divide the text into three parts. A convenient division is
suggested here.
...............that mountains are a means of communion with
God. (end of Part-I)
It is emotional. It is spiritual. (end of Part-II)
The remaining is Part-III.
Design while-reading comprehension questions for each part.
The multiple choice items are given at the end of the lesson. You
may try the following as additional questions.
What is the authors personal answer to the question as to
why people climb mountains?
How is the same question answered in Part-II in a different way?
Honeydew
Famous climbers have recorded how they needed just that

help? Explain the italicised phrase.
Looking round from the summit, you tell yourself that
_____________________________.
(a) Complete this sentence using the same words as in the
text without referring to the book.
(b) Now complete it using a clause/phrase of your own
without changing meaning.
Activities 2 and 3 under working with language provide ample
opportunities for vocabulary development. Extend Activity 2
by choosing new words from the text to cover their adjective
and/or adverb forms.
remark remarkable remarkably
type typical typically
Use each item in a meaningful context, involving more than one
sentence.
What you say is not appropriate, though its a good remark.
Isnt that remarkable?
It may be so, but it doesnt mean you are remarkably objective.
You may not find the dialogue above remarkable enough, but
it meets the immediate requirement appropriately.
Re-read and discuss passages where the authors admiration
for the mountains and passion for adventure comes through.
The School Boy

A school is a place where children and teachers assemble every
morning to learn from one another. Find out if any child would
like to describe school in a different way.
An interesting discussion on different types of schools,
supported by pictures from magazines/newspapers, may
ensue a village school where children are sitting on the floor;
another school where they are sitting at long desks; an outdoor
lesson under a tree, etc.
Ask children how they reach school. Do they walk or take a
bus, etc.? What problems others in remote areas may face in
reaching school on time?
Any suggestions as to how to make school an interesting and
enjoyable place!
This is Jodys Fawn

A story about a childs emotional preoccupation with the fawn
whose mother had to be killed to save his fathers life. The
story highlights values such as compassion and justice, care
and concern for human and animal life.
Spend some time on a discussion about home remedies for
commonplace health problems/ailments. Should we see a
doctor about every little thing, or should we talk to the
grandmother first?
The growing concern about preservation of environment and
protection of animal life has gone a long way in persuading schools
to refrain from dissecting animals for experiment. Elicit childrens
comments on the issue and on the law that punishes humans
for hurting animals.
Activity 1 under working with language is about reporting
questions yes/no and wh-questions. The use of if/whether
in the case of yes/no type questions should be explicitly
explained. Devise separate exercises for teaching the use of
if/whether, the appropriate reporting verb, the changes in
pronominals in the reported speech and the sequence of tenses.
Here is a simple exercise to exemplify some of these points.
Choose the correct word to complete statements in indirect speech
given below. Write words in the blanks given.
(a) Where do you come from?
I ___________(said/asked) him where ______________ (he/
you) come from.
(b) What is your name?
He asked me what ____________ (my/his) name. (is/was)
(c) Are you happy?
I asked him ______________ (if/whether) he _____________
(is/was) happy.
(d) Do you live here?
Honeydew
He asked me ___________ (whether/if) I ____________ (live/

lived) ___________ (here/there).
(e) Why are you crying?
The teacher asked the child ______________ (if/why) she
_____ (is/was/were) crying.
Here is another exercise.

Read the following dialogue between Jody and his father. Rewrite
their conversation in indirect speech.
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
Boy, youve got me hemmed in.
It wont take much to raise the fawn.
It will soon start eating leaves.
You are smarter than boys of your age.
We took its mother, and it wasnt to blame.
It seems ungrateful to leave it to starve.
Begin like this:
Penny lay quiet staring at the ceiling. He said to Jody that
______________________________________________. Jody replied
that it wouldnt _________________________
Activity 2 under working with language deals with transitive
and intransitive verbs.
Ask children to underline the direct object in the following
sentences.
He brought me a colourful umbrella.
I will write a letter to him.
You should give yourself a chance.
Activity 3 under writing may be linked with the first task
covering home remedies under Before you read, It will be
useful to take it up separately also.

Try the method suggested for The Last Bargain.
Before taking up the text and the activities given, let children
talk about unusual activities they want to do such as walking
on the moon, floating in outer space or shaking hands with an
octopus. Take every idea seriously, no matter how improbable
it may seem. We may come upon enough raw material of which
The Duck and the Kangaroo is made.
It may be suggested that a story/poem like the present one
need not be factually correct or real. We enjoy reading them
because they appeal to our imagination, curiosity and sense
of the music of words.
Children should be encouraged to attempt short poems such

as the following.
1. Once I knew
A Kangaroo
Named Sue
How about you?
2. There is a man
called Peter Pan,
I know another
whos neither Pan nor Peter.
You havent met him, have you?
Its my friend Kanga Roo.
Sample two is impromptu as you rightly guessed, did

you?
Excerpt from a travelogue highlighting exchange of views
between two extraordinary persons on what it means to be
differently abled. A tour through Cambridge had a surprise,
both pleasant and poignant, for the author. He met the brilliant
and completely paralysed author of A Brief History of Time,
and talked to him for a full half-hour.
Activity 2 under working with language is about the present
participle (dancing/walking) used as adjective.
Running on the road, he saw __________. (participle)
The train is running. __________ (verb)
The running train __________ (adjective)
The use of past participle as adjective may also be illustrated here.
He has broken the window. (verb)
The window was broken when the almirah was taken out
(verb in passive)
See the broken window. (adjective)
Activity 3 under speaking and writing may be done as a project.
Lot of oral work to precede the writing task. The final draft should
be edited and improved before it is put up on the board.
Honeydew
Activities 1 and 2 under speaking and writing are about word

stress. Stressed syllables to be pronounced clearly and loudly.
Some words of more than one syllable from the text may also be
listed according to whether the stress falls on the first or the
second syllable.
When I Set Out for Lyonnesse

The poem has a clear beginning-middle-end structure. The
beginning is setting out, the middle is sojourn and the end
is return.
Draw childrens attention to appropriate words/phrases/lines
that suggest and reinforce each phase of the journey.
Lyonnesse to be pronounced as lie-an-ness. The last syllable
receives the primary stress.
If feasible and useful, explain the rhyme scheme and its musical
effect on the listener.
Stanza 1
ABBAAB
Lyonnesse - A
Stanza 2
ACCAAC
away
- B
Stanza 3
ADDAAD
there
- C
eyes
- D
UNITS 8-10

Some extracts from the diary of a nature lover who enjoys the
monsoon in the hills and observes the accompanying changes
in the world of flora and fauna.
Activities under working with language are numerous and of
different types. Spend sufficient time on each activity and
devise, wherever necessary, new but related exercises for
further practice.
The following project may be tried under writing.
Do you notice the changes that occur in nature as the
seasons change? Write five or six sentences about what
you see in nature in your part of the country during the
months of May, August and December.
Record the daily temperature for a fortnight and note down
the maximum and minimum temperatures.
Comment on the rise and fall in temperature.
Record the time of sunrise and sunset for a fortnight and
check if there is any appreciable change in the time.

This poem is relatively difficult. The difficulty lies in its brevity
of expression and complexity of thought.
The introductory note and activities under working with the
poem should be done elaborately adding additional
explanatory notes/tasks, wherever necessary.
Compare it with The Ant and the Cricket to bring out
differences of style and theme clearly with examples.
To concretise the poetry of earth or the sounds of nature,
use the poem given below, which is all about animal cries.
Ask children to rearrange the lines taking note of the words

that rhyme. The last line of each stanza begins with But.
Cows moo.
Lions roar.
But I speak.
Bears snore.
Doves coo.
Crickets creak.
Dogs growl.
Horses neigh.
But I talk.
Wolves howl.
Donkeys bray.
Parrots squawk.
The Great Stone Face I and II

A classic piece of American fiction juxtaposing mellowness of
humanism with magnificence of art. Ernest, an unschooled
dweller of the valley, has close affinity with the Stone Face atop
the hills beyond. Who resembles the splendid Stone Face not
someone for all his wealth, not someone else for all his heroic
deeds, and not someone else yet again for his poetry and sublime
ideas. It is none other than Ernest who personifies a rare blend of
basic simplicity, practical wisdom and deep love for humanity.
The original story has been heavily abridged. Simplification
has been avoided in the interest of authenticity. You may like
to read the unabridged text for pleasure and edification.
Design three or four while-reading comprehension questions
for each section of the text (parts I and II)
The writing activity (Part-II : IV) is for further practice in language
analysis. Rearranging phrases to construct sentences and then
rearranging sentences to construct a paragraph will provide
many opportunities for thinking about cohesion and coherence.
Activities 1 and 2 under working with language (Part I) on
adding -ness and -ity for forming nouns and adding -ly to
adjectives for forming adverbs should be completed in three
or four sessions. One period may be devoted to each item
including resolving intermittent queries and offering
explanations and the writing work involved.
Honeydew
Before you read

There are some dates or periods of time in the history
of the world that are so significant that everyone
knows and remembers them. The story you will read
mentions one such date and event: a war between
the British and the Germans in 1914. Can you guess
which war it was?
Do you know which events the dates below refer to?
(a) 4 July 1776
(b) 17 December 1903
(c) 6 August 1945
(d) 30 January 1948
(e) 12 April 1961
(f) 20 July 1969
The answers are on page 23.
I
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport, a roll-top desk.
The man said it was early nineteenth century, and oak.
I had wanted one, but they were far too expensive. This
one was in a bad condition, the roll-top in several pieces,
one leg clumsily mended, scorch marks all down one
side. It was going for very little money. I thought I could
restore it. It would be a risk, a challenge, but I had to
have it. I paid the man and brought it back to my
workroom at the back of the garage. I began work on it
on Christmas Eve.
I removed the roll-top completely and pulled out the
drawers. The veneer had lifted almost everywhere it
spotted it:
saw it; found it
(informal)
scorch marks:
burn marks
was going for:
was selling for
(informal)
restore:
(here) repair
veneer:
a thin layer of
plastic or
decorative
wood on
furniture of
cheap wood
taken their
toll on:
damaged
stuck fast:
shut tight
scruples:
feelings that
make you
hesitate to do
something
wrong
looked like water damage to me. Both fire and water had
clearly taken their toll on this desk. The last drawer was
stuck fast. I tried all I could to ease it out gently. In the
end I used brute force. I struck it sharply with the side of
my fist and the drawer flew open to reveal a shallow space
underneath, a secret drawer. There was something in
there. I reached in and took out a small black tin box.
Sello-taped to the top of it was a piece of lined notepaper,
and written on it in shaky
handwriting: Jims
last letter, received
January 25, 1915.
To be buried with
me when the
time comes. I
knew as I did
it that it was
wrong of me to
open the box,
but curiosity
got the better of
my scruples. It
usually does.
Inside the box there was an envelope. The address
read: Mrs Jim Macpherson, 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport,
Dorset. I took out the letter and unfolded it. It was written
in pencil and dated at the top December 26, 1914.
Comprehension Check
1. What did the author find in a junk shop?
2. What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had
put it in there?
II
Dearest Connie,
I write to you in a much happier frame of mind because
something wonderful has just happened that I must tell
Honeydew
you about at once. We were all standing to in our trenches

yesterday morning, Christmas morning. It was crisp and
quiet all about, as beautiful a morning as Ive ever seen, as
cold and frosty as a Christmas morning should be.
I should like to be able to tell you that we began it.
But the truth, Im ashamed to say, is that Fritz began it.
First someone saw a white flag waving from the trenches
opposite. Then they were calling out to us from across
no mans land, Happy Christmas, Tommy! Happy
Christmas! When we had got over the surprise, some of
us shouted back, Same to you, Fritz! Same to you! I
thought that would be that. We all did. But then suddenly
one of them was up there in his grey greatcoat and waving
a white flag. Dont shoot, lads! someone shouted. And
no one did. Then there was another Fritz up on the
parapet, and another. Keep your heads down, I told the
men, its a trick. But it wasnt.
One of the Germans was waving a bottle above his
head. It is Christmas Day, Tommy. We have schnapps.
We have sausage. We meet you? Yes? By this time there
were dozens of them walking towards us across no mans
land and not a rifle between them. Little Private Morris
was the first up. Come on, boys. What are we waiting
for? And then there was no stopping them. I was the
officer. I should have stopped them there and then, I
suppose, but the truth is that it never even occurred to
me I should. All along their line and ours I could see
men walking slowly towards one another, grey coats,
khaki coats meeting in the middle. And I was one of
them. I was part of this. In the middle of the war we
were making peace.
You cannot imagine, dearest Connie, my feelings as
I looked into the eyes of the Fritz officer, who approached
me, hand outstretched. Hans Wolf, he said, gripping
my hand warmly and holding it. I am from Dusseldorf.
I play the cello in the orchestra. Happy Christmas.
standing to:
taking up
positions
trenches:
long deep
ditches in the
ground where
soldiers hide
from the
enemy
Fritz:
(here), a name
for a German
soldier (Fritz is
a common
German name)
Tommy:
a common
English name,
used here to
refer to British
soldiers
that would be
that:
that was all;
that was the
end of the
matter
schnapps
(pronounced,
sh-naps):
a German
drink made
from grain
cello:
a musical
instrument
like a large
violin
marzipan:
a sweet
covering on a
cake made
from sugar,
eggs and
almonds
Honeydew
Captain Jim Macpherson, I replied. And a Happy

Christmas to you too. Im a school teacher from Dorset,
in the west of England.
Ah, Dorset, he smiled. I know this place. I know it
very well. We shared my rum ration and his excellent
sausage. And we talked, Connie, how we talked. He spoke
almost perfect English. But it turned out that he had
never set foot in Dorset, never even been to England.
He had learned all he knew of England from school,
and from reading books in English. His favourite writer
was Thomas Hardy, his favourite book Far from the
Madding Crowd. So out there in no mans land we talked
of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak and Sergeant Troy and
Dorset. He had a wife and one son, born just six months
ago. As I looked about me there were huddles of khaki
and grey everywhere, all over no mans land, smoking,
laughing, talking, drinking, eating. Hans Wolf and I
shared what was left of your wonderful Christmas cake,
Connie. He thought the marzipan was the best he had
ever tasted. I agreed. We agreed about everything, and
he was my enemy. There never was a Christmas party
like it, Connie.
Then someone, I dont know who, brought out a
football. Greatcoats were dumped in piles to make
goalposts, and the next thing we knew it was Tommy
against Fritz out in the middle of no mans land. Hans
Wolf and I looked on and cheered, clapping our hands
and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as
anything. There was a moment when I noticed our
breaths mingling in the air between us. He saw it too
and smiled. Jim Macpherson, he said after a while,
I think this is how we should resolve this war. A football
match. No one dies in a football match. No children are
orphaned. No wives become widows.
Id prefer cricket, I told him. Then we Tommies
could be sure of winning, probably. We laughed at
that, and together we watched the game. Sad to say,
Connie, Fritz won, two goals to one. But as Hans Wolf

generously said, our goal was wider than theirs, so it
wasnt quite fair.
The time came, and all too soon, when the game was
finished, the schnapps and the rum and the sausage
had long since run out, and we knew it was all over.
I wished Hans well and told him I hoped he would see
his family again soon, that the fighting would end and
we could all go home.
I think that is what every soldier wants, on both
sides, Hans Wolf said. Take care, Jim Macpherson.
I shall never forget this moment, nor you. He saluted
and walked away from me slowly, unwillingly, I felt.
He turned to wave just once and then became one of
the hundreds of grey-coated men drifting back towards
their trenches.
That night, back in our dugouts, we heard them
singing a carol, and singing it quite beautifully. It was
Stille Nacht, Silent Night. Our boys gave them a rousing
chorus of While Shepherds Watched. We exchanged
carols for a while and then we all fell silent. We had had
our time of peace and goodwill, a time I will treasure as
long as I live.
dugout:
a shelter for
soldiers made
by digging a
hole in the
ground and
covering it
Dearest Connie, by Christmas time next year, this

war will be nothing but a distant and terrible memory.
I know from all that happened today how much both
armies long for peace. We shall be together again soon,
Im sure of it.
Your loving, Jim.
Comprehension Check
1. Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?
2. Why was the letter written what was the wonderful thing
that had happened?
3. What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when
they were not soldiers?
4. Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?
5. Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How
do you know this?
III
burned out:
destroyed by
fire
boarded-up:
covered with
wooden
boards
muddleheaded:
confused
Honeydew
I folded the letter again and slipped it carefully back

into its envelope. I kept awake all night. By morning I
knew what I had to do. I drove into Bridport, just a few
miles away. I asked a boy walking his dog where Copper
Beeches was. House number 12 turned out to be nothing
but a burned-out shell, the roof gaping, the windows
boarded-up. I knocked at the house next door and asked
if anyone knew the whereabouts of a Mrs Macpherson.
Oh yes, said the old man in his slippers, he knew her
well. A lovely old lady, he told me, a bit muddle-headed,
but at her age she was entitled to be, wasnt she? A
hundred and one years old. She had been in the house
when it caught fire. No one really knew how the fire had
started, but it could well have been candles. She used
candles rather than electricity, because she always
thought electricity was too expensive. The fireman had
got her out just in time. She was in a nursing home
now, he told me, Burlington House, on the Dorchester
road, on the other side of town.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did the author go to Bridport?
2. How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?
I found Burlington House Nursing Home easily enough.

There were paper chains up in the hallway and a lighted
Christmas tree stood in the corner with a lopsided angel
on top. I said I was a friend come to visit Mrs Macpherson
to bring her a Christmas present. I could see through
into the dining room where everyone was wearing a paper
hat and singing. The matron had a hat on too and
seemed happy enough to see me. She even offered me a
mince pie. She walked me along the corridor.
Mrs Macpherson is not in with the others, she told
me. Shes rather confused today so we thought it best
if she had a good rest. She has no family you know, no
one visits. So Im sure shell be only too pleased to see
you. She took me into a conservatory with wicker chairs
and potted plants all around and left me.
The old lady was sitting in a wheelchair, her hands
folded in her lap. She had silver white hair pinned into a
wispy bun. She was gazing out at
the garden. Hello, I said. She
turned and looked up at me
vacantly. Happy Christmas,
Connie, I went on. I found
this. I think its yours. As I was
speaking her eyes never left my
face. I opened the tin box and
gave it to her. That was the
moment her eyes lit up with
recognition and her face
became suffused with a sudden
glow of happiness. I explained
about the desk, about how I
had found it, but I don't think
she was listening. For a while
lit up:
became bright
with happiness, excitement
suffused with:
(glow of
happiness)
spread all over
her face
she said nothing, but stroked the letter tenderly with her
fingertips.
Suddenly she reached out and took my hand. Her
eyes were filled with tears. You told me youd come home
by Christmas, dearest, she said. And here you are,
the best Christmas present in the world. Come closer,
Jim dear, sit down.
I sat down beside her, and she kissed my cheek. I
read your letter so often Jim, every day. I wanted to
hear your voice in my head. It always made me feel you
were with me. And now you are. Now youre back you
can read it to me yourself. Would you do that for me,
Jim dear? I just want to hear your voice again. Id love
that so much. And then perhaps well have some tea.
Ive made you a nice Christmas cake, marzipan all
around. I know how much you love marzipan.
MICHAEL MORPURGO
Comprehension Check
1. Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?
2. Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try
to hide his identity?
1. For how long do you think Connie had kept Jims letter? Give reasons for
your answer.
2. Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?
3. Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving
conflicts? Do you agree?
4. Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different
from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
5. Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers
become friends and find things in common at Christmas.
6. What is Connies Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present
in the world?
7. Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any
other title(s)?
Honeydew
1. Look at these sentences from the story.

I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport... The man said it was made in
the early nineteenth century This one was in bad condition
The italicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in
the past, before now.
(i) Read the passage below and underline the verbs in the past tense.
A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty
except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the
police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed
him.
Now look at these sentences.
The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had
taken their toll on this desk.
Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).
The author found and bought the desk in the past.
The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it.
Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it
and bought it.
We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the earlier
past. If there are two events in the past, we use the had form for
the event that occurred first in the past.
We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was
wished for, or expected before a particular time in the past. For
example, I had always wanted one
Discuss with your partner the difference in meaning in the
sentences below.
When I reached the station, the train left.
When I reached the station, the train had left.
(ii) Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
My little sister is very naughty. When she __________ (come) back
from school yesterday, she had __________ (tear) her dress.
We __________ (ask) her how it had __________ (happen). She __________
(say) she __________ __________ (have, quarrel) with a boy. She
__________ __________ (have, beat) him in a race and he __________
__________ (have, try) to push her. She __________ __________ (have,
tell) the teacher and so he __________ __________ (have, chase) her,

and she __________ __________ (have, fall) down and __________
__________ (have, tear) her dress.
(iii) Underline the verbs and arrange them in two columns, Past and Earlier
past.
(a) My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed
at home, because I had seen them already.
(b) When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back
home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
(c) So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
(d) By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!
Earlier past
Past
2. Dictionary work
By the end of the journey, we had run out of drinking water.
Look at the verb run out of in this sentence. It is a phrasal verb: it has
two parts, a verb and a preposition or an adverb. Phrasal verbs often
have meanings that are different from the meanings of their parts.
Find these phrasal verbs in the story.
burn out
light up
look on
run out
keep out
Write down the sentences in which they occur. Consult a dictionary and
write down the meaning that you think matches the meaning of the
phrasal verb in the sentence.
3. Noun phrase
Read the following sentence.
I took out a small black tin box.
The phrase in italics is a noun phrase.
It has the noun box as the head word, and three adjectives
preceding it.
Honeydew
Notice the order in which the adjectives occur size (small), colour
(black) and material (tin) of which it is made.
We rarely use more than four adjectives before a noun and there is no
rigid order in which they are used, though there is a preferred order of
modifiers/adjectives in a noun phrase, as given below.
determiner modifier 1
modifier 2
modifier 3
(opinion, (size, shape, age)
(colour)
feeling)
a/an/
the
nice/lazy/
beautiful
tall/
round/
old/young
modifier 4 head word

(material)
red/white/ silk/cotton/
woollen
light/dark
woman
man/
table/chair
4. The table below contains a list of nouns and some adjectives. Use as
many adjectives as you can to describe each noun. You might come
up with some funny descriptions!
Nouns
elephant
face
building
Adjectives
circular, striped, enormous, multicoloured,
round, cheerful, wild, blue, red, chubby,
large, medium-sized, cold
water
1. In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between
countries. Then present your arguments to the whole class.
2. What kind of presents do you like and why? What are the things you keep
in mind when you buy presents for others? Discuss with your partner.
(For example, you might buy a book because it can be read and re-read
over a period of time.)
1. Imagine that you are Jim. You have returned to your town after the war. In
your diary record how you feel about the changes you see and the events
that occur in your town. You could begin like this
25 December, 1919
Its Christmas today, but the town looks..
Or
Suppose you are the visitor. You are in a dilemma. You don't know whether
to disclose your identity and disappoint the old lady or let her believe that
her dear Jim has come back. Write a letter to a friend highlighting your
anxiety, fears and feelings.
2. Given below is the outline of a story. Construct the story using the outline.
A young, newly married doctor _______________ freedom fighter
_______________ exiled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the
British _______________ infamous Cellular Jail _______________ prisoners
tortured _______________ revolt by inmates _______________ doctor
hanged _______________ wife waits for his return _______________
becomes old _______________ continues to wait with hope and faith.
War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys

religion, it destroys states, it destroys families.
Martin Luther
This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of
all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face
to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even
though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.
Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front
Honeydew
A fable is a story, often with animals as characters, that conveys

a moral. This poem about an ant and a cricket contains an idea
of far-reaching significance, which is as true of a four-legged
cricket as of a two-legged one. Surely, you have seen a cricket
that has two legs!
A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing

Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
Oh! what will become, says the cricket, of me?
At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
Hed repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.
Says the ant to the

cricket, Im your servant
and friend,
But we ants never
borrow; we ants never
lend.
But tell me, dear cricket,
did you lay nothing by
When the weather was
warm? Quoth the cricket,
Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.
You sang, Sir, you say?
Go then, says the ant, and dance the winter away.
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. Ill warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.
adapted from Aesops Fables
accustomed to sing: used to singing; in the habit of singing

famine: scarcity of food; having nothing to eat
lay nothing by: save nothing
quoth: (old English) said
Honeydew
1. The cricket says, Oh! what will become of me? When does he say it,
and why?
2. (i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as Neither a borrower
nor a lender be (Shakespeare).
(ii) What is your opinion of the ants principles?
3. The ant tells the cricket to dance the winter away. Do you think the word
dance is appropriate here? If so, why?
4. (i) Which lines in the poem express the poet's comment? Read them aloud.
(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
If you know a fable in your own language, narrate it to your classmates.
Answers to Questions on page 9.

(a) American Declaration of Independence.
(b) Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first flight, remaining in the air
for 12 seconds and covering 120 feet.
(c) Hiroshima Day: an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan on
this day.
(d) Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
(e) Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth.
(f) Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon.
Before you read

Look at the map of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands given here.
92
North
Andaman
Andaman and
Nicobar Islands
Middle
Andaman
Lower
Andaman
Port Blair
Andaman
Sea
Little
Andaman
ANDAMAN
ISLANDS
10
Car Nicobar
Indian
Ocean
NICOBAR
ISLANDS
Tarasa
Katchall
Little
Nicobar
92
Noncowry
Great
Nicobar
100
km
70
miles
Now read the sentences

below. Rewrite the
incorrect ones after
correcting the mistakes.
1. Katchall is an island.
2. It is part of the
Andaman group
of islands.
3. Nancowry is an island
in the Nicobar group.
4. Katchall and
Nancowry are more
than a hundred
miles apart. (Hint: the
scale of the map is
given.)
5. The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands are to
the west of India.
6. The Nicobar Islands
are to the north of the
Andaman Islands.
A tsunami is a very large and powerful wave caused by

earthquakes under the sea. On 26 December 2004, a tsunami
hit Thailand and parts of India such as the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, and the Tamil Nadu coast. Here are some
stories of courage and survival.
Did animals sense that a tsunami was coming? Some stories
suggest that they did.
I
These stories are all from the Andaman and Nicobar
archipelago.
Ignesious was the manager of a cooperative society
in Katchall. His wife woke him up at 6 a.m. because she
felt an earthquake. Ignesious carefully took his television
set off its table and put it down on the ground so that it
would not fall and break. Then the family rushed out of
the house.
When the tremors stopped, they saw the sea rising.
In the chaos and confusion, two of his children caught
hold of the hands of their mothers father and mothers
brother, and rushed in the opposite direction. He never
saw them again. His wife was also swept away. Only the
three other children who came with him were saved.
archipelago:
a group of
many islands
and the
surrounding
sea
tremor:
a slight shake
Earth tremors:
the earths
shakes during
an earthquake
chaos:
complete
disorder or
confusion
[pronounced,
kay-os]
The Tsunami
relief
helicopters:
helicopters
bringing help
to people (e.g.
during floods)
recede:
move back
from where it
was
Honeydew
Sanjeev was a policeman, serving in the Katchall island

of the Nicobar group of islands. He somehow managed to
save himself, his wife and his baby daughter from the
waves. But then he heard cries for help from the wife of
John, the guesthouse cook. Sanjeev jumped into the water
to rescue her, but they were both swept away.
Thirteen year-old Meghna was swept away along with
her parents and seventy-seven other people. She spent
two days floating in the sea, holding on to a wooden door.
Eleven times she saw relief helicopters overhead, but they
did not see her. She was brought to the shore by a wave,
and was found walking on the seashore in a daze.
Almas Javed was ten years old. She was a student of
Carmel Convent in Port Blair where her father had a
petrol pump. Her mother Rahilas home was in
Nancowry island. The family had gone there to celebrate
Christmas.
When the tremors came early in the morning, the
family was sleeping. Almass father saw the sea water
recede. He understood that the water would come
rushing back with great force. He woke everyone up
and tried to rush them to a safer place.
As they ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by
something and he fell down. Her father rushed to help
him. Then came the first giant wave that swept both of
them away.
Almass mother and
aunts stood clinging to the
leaves of a coconut tree,
calling out to her. A wave
uprooted the tree, and they
too were washed away.
Almas saw a log of wood
floating. She climbed on to
it. Then she fainted. When
she woke up, she was in a
hospital in Kamorta. From there she was brought to

Port Blair.
The little girl does not want to talk about the incident
with anyone. She is still traumatised.
Comprehension Check
Say whether the following are true or false.
1. Ignesious lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and
his brother-in-law in the tsunami.
2. Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami.
3. Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.
4. Almass father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the
island.
5. Her mother and aunts were washed away with the
tree that they were holding on to.
traumatised:
greatly
shocked and
distressed
II
Tilly Smith (a British school girl) was able to save many
lives when the tsunami struck Phuket beach in Thailand.
Though she has won a number of awards, her parents
have not allowed their daughter to be interviewed on
television and made into a heroine. Why do you think they
took that decision?
Now here is a story from Thailand.

The Smith family from South-East England were
celebrating Christmas at a beach resort in southern
Thailand. Tilly Smith was a ten-year-old schoolgirl; her
sister was seven years old. Their parents were Penny
and Colin Smith.
It was 26 December 2004. Deadly tsunami waves
were already on their way. They had been triggered
by a massive earthquake off northern Sumatra earlier
that morning.
The water was swelling and kept coming in, Penny
Smith remembered. The beach was getting smaller and
smaller. I didnt know what was happening.
resort:
a place where
people go on
holiday
triggered:
caused
(describes a
sudden,
violent
reaction
here, an
undersea
earthquake
caused the
tsunami)
The Tsunami
hysterical:
when you are
hysterical, you
shout, laugh
or cry in a
wild excited
way, without
any control
over yourself
refuge:
shelter or
protection
from danger
withstood:
endured
without
collapsing
surge:
force;
momentum
But Tilly Smith sensed that something was wrong.

Her mind kept going back to a geography lesson she
had taken in England just two weeks before she flew
out to Thailand with her family.
Tilly saw the sea slowly rise, and start to foam, bubble
and form whirlpools. She remembered that she had seen
this in class in a video of a tsunami that had hit the
Hawaiian islands in 1946. Her geography teacher had
shown her class the video, and told them that tsunamis
can be caused by earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.
Tilly started to scream at her family to get off the
beach. She talked about an earthquake under the sea.
She got more and more hysterical, said her mother
Penny. I didnt know what a tsunami was. But seeing
my daughter so frightened, I thought something serious
must be going on.
Tillys parents took her and her sister away from the
beach, to the swimming pool at the hotel. A number of
other tourists also left the beach with them. Then it
was as if the entire sea had come out after them. I was
screaming, Run!
The family took refuge in the third floor of the hotel.
The building withstood the surge of three tsunami waves.
If they had stayed on the beach, they would not have
been alive.
The Smiths later met other tourists who had lost
entire families. Thanks to Tilly and her geography lesson,
they had been forewarned. Tilly went back to her school
in England and told her classmates her terrifying tale.
Comprehension Check
Answer the following in a phrase or sentence.
1. Why did Tillys family come to Thailand?
2. What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?
3. Do you think Tillys mother was alarmed by them?
4. Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange
fashion?
Honeydew
5. Where did the Smith family and the others on the

beach go to escape from the tsunami?
6. How do you think her geography teacher felt when
he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?
III
Look carefully at the picture of the boy and his dog, and
try to describe the things that you see, using just words
and phrases. Either the teacher or one of the students
can write down the words and phrases on the blackboard.
This is how you can start
calm, blue sea . ruined huts
Before the giant waves slammed into the coast in

India and Sri Lanka, wild and domestic animals seemed
to know what was about to happen. They fled to safety.
According to eyewitness accounts, elephants screamed
and ran for higher ground; dogs refused to go outdoors;
flamingoes abandoned their low-lying breeding areas;
and zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could
not be enticed to come back out.
Many people believe that animals possess a sixth
sense and know when the earth is going to shake. Some
experts believe that animals more acute hearing helps
them to hear or feel the earths vibration. They can sense
an approaching disaster long before humans realise
whats going on.
We cannot be sure whether animals have a sixth
sense or not. But the fact is that the giant waves that
rolled through the Indian Ocean killed more than
150,000 people in a dozen countries; but not many
animals have been reported dead.
Along Indias Cuddalore coast, where thousands of
people perished, buffaloes, goats and dogs were found
unharmed. The Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is home
to a variety of animals including elephants, leopards,
and 130 species of birds. Sixty visitors were washed
away from the Patanangala beach inside the park; but
When do you
think this picture
was taken?
Did you know
that very few
animals
actually died
in the
tsunami?
The Tsunami
no animal carcasses were found, except for two water

buffaloes. About an hour before the tsunami hit, people
at Yala National Park had observed three elephants
running away from the Patanangala beach.
A Sri Lankan gentleman who lives on the coast near
Galle said his two dogs would not go for their daily run
on the beach. They are usually excited to go on this
outing, he said. But on that day they refused to go,
and most probably saved his life.
Comprehension check
Answer using a phrase or a sentence.
1. In the tsunami 150,000 people died. How many animals died?
2. How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?
3. What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?
4. What did the dogs in Galle do?
Discuss the following questions in class. Then write your own answers.
1. When he felt the earthquake, do you think Ignesious immediately worried
about a tsunami? Give reasons for your answer. Which sentence in the text
tells you that the Ignesious family did not have any time to discuss and
plan their course of action after the tsunami struck?
2. Which words in the list below describe Sanjeev, in your opinion?
(Look up the dictionary for words that you are not sure of.)
cheerful
heroic
ambitious
selfless
brash
heartless
brave
humorous
careless
Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below.
(i) I dont know if Sanjeev was cheerful, ___________ or ___________.
(ii) I think that he was very brave,___________ and___________.
(iii) Sanjeev was not heartless, ___________or___________.
3. How are Meghna and Almass stories similar?
Honeydew
4. What are the different ways in which Tillys parents could have reacted to
her behaviour? What would you have done if you were in their place?
5. If Tillys award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with
her parents or her geography teacher?
6. What are the two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in the
tsunami? Which idea do you find more believable?
1. Go through Part-I carefully, and make a list of as many words as you can
find that indicate movement of different kinds. (There is one word that occurs
repeatedly count how many times!) Put them into three categories.
fast movement
slow movement
neither slow nor fast
Can you explain why there are many words in one column and not in the
others?
2. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will
give you a clue).
(i) The earth trembled, but not many people felt the _________. (tremble)
(ii) When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of _________ and many
animals escaped into the countryside. (confuse)
(iii) We heard with _________ that the lion had been recaptured. (relieve)
(iv) The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his _________ was filmed by the
TV crew. (rescue)
(v) There was much _________ in the village when the snake charmer came
visiting. (excite)
3. Study the sentences in the columns A and B.
A
Meghna was swept away.
B
The waves swept Meghna away.
Almas's grandfather was hit on the Something hit Almass grandfather on

head.
the head.
Sixty visitors were washed away.
The waves washed away sixty visitors.
No animal carcasses were found.
People did not find any animal carcasses.
The Tsunami
Compare the sentences in A to the ones in B. Who is the doer of the

action in every case? Is the doer mentioned in A, or in B?
Notice the verbs in A: was swept away, was hit, were washed away,
were found. They are in the passive form. The sentences are in the
Passive Voice. In these sentences, the focus is not on the person who
does the action.
In B, the doer of the action is named. The verbs are in the active form.
The sentences are in the Active Voice.
Say whether the following sentences are in the Active or the Passive voice.
Write A or P after each sentence as shown in the first sentence.
(i) Someone stole my bicycle. A
(ii) The tyres were deflated by the traffic police. _______________
(iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house. _______________
(iv) It had been thrown there. _______________
(v) My father gave it to the mechanic. _______________
(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. _______________
1. Suppose you are one of the volunteers who went to the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands for relief work after the tsunami. You work in the relief camps,
distributing food, water and medicine among the victims. You listen to the
various stories of bravery of ordinary people even as they fight against odds
to bring about some semblance of normalcy in their lives. You admire their
grit and determination. Write a diary entry.
You may start in this way.
31 December, 2004
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims
are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell...
2. The story shows how a little girl saved the lives of many tourists when a
tsunami struck the beach, thanks to the geography lesson that she had
learnt at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned
her parents.
Honeydew
Do you remember any incident when something that you learnt in the
classroom helped you in some way outside the classroom?
Write your experiences in a paragraph of about 90100 words or narrate it
to the whole class like an anecdote.
Katchall is one of the largest islands in the central group.
It is about 61 sq miles in area. It is slightly hilly at the
centre, but otherwise remarkably flat.
t t t
t
tt t
When I was at the party,
Said Betty, aged just four,
A little girl fell off her chair
Right down upon the floor;
And all the other little girls
Began to laugh, but me
I didnt laugh a single bit,
Said Betty seriously.
Why not? her mother asked her,
Full of delight to find
That Betty bless her little heart!
Had been so sweetly kind.
Why didnt you laugh, my darling?
Or dont you like to tell?
I didnt laugh, said Betty,
Because it was I that fell.
Unknown
The Tsunami
Can you imagine what your city would look like if you saw it
from ten thousand feet above the ground? Neatly planned and
perfect in proportion like a geometric design, it would strike you
as something very different from what it actually is while you
are in the thick of it.
Here is a poet's description of just such a view of the city, and
some questions that come to his mind.
When the jet sprang into the sky,

it was clear why the city
had developed the way it had,
seeing it scaled six inches to the mile.
There seemed an inevitability
about what on ground had looked haphazard,
unplanned and without style
When the jet sprang into the sky.
When the jet reached ten thousand feet,
it was clear why the country
had cities where the rivers ran
and why the valleys were populated.
The logic of geography
that land and water attracted man
was clearly delineated
When the jet reached ten thousand feet.
When the jet rose six miles high,
it was clear the earth was round
and that it had more sea than land.
But it was difficult to understand

that the men on the earth found
causes to hate each other, to build
walls across cities and to kill.
From that height, it was not clear why.
ZULFIKAR GHOSE
inevitable: that cannot be avoided

haphazard: without plan or order
delineated: shown
1. Find three or four phrases in stanzas one and two which are likely to
occur in a geography lesson.
2. Seen from the window of an aeroplane, the city appears
(i) as haphazard as on ground.
(ii) as neat as a map.
(iii) as developed as necessary.
Mark the right answer.
3. Which of the following statements are examples of the logic of geography?
(i) There are cities where there are rivers.
(ii) Cities appear as they are not from six miles above the ground.
(iii) It is easy to understand why valleys are populated.
(iv) It is difficult to understand why humans hate and kill one another.
(v) The earth is round, and it has more sea than land.
4. Mention two things that are
(i) clear from the height.
(ii) not clear from the height.
Geography Lesson
Before you read

Here are some pictorial glimpses of the history of our
country from 1757 to 1857. These pictures and
speech bubbles will help clarify your understanding
of the conditions that led to the event known as the
First War of Independence in 1857.
1. The Martyrs
At a function in Delhi
Oh my countrymen!
Let your eyes fill with tears,
as you recall the sacrifices of
Indias martyrs.
2. The Companys conquests (1757-1849)

With its superior weapons, the British
East India Company was extending its
power in 18th century India.
Indian princes were short-sighted.

That upstart Rajah
Bah! Call the English
merchants. They will
help me to defeat him.
INDIA 1765
Indian Princes
British
Territory
The people had no peace due to such constant fights.
The rivalries helped the East India Company

and it could easily subdue Indian princes
one by one.
Thank God, there is peace

in the country now! No
more wars and no looting
by thugs !
How did Indians react to these conquests?

Our destiny
is linked
with them!
The white man has

killed or dethroned
our kings.
A far-seeing ruler like the

brave Tipu of Mysore
fought the British till he
died fighting!
Some kings were not

good, but after all,
they were of this land.
It is God
who sent
the British!
Now we have
become slaves
of foreigners!
3. British Rule (1765-1836)

Religious leaders preached ideas like untouchability and child marriage.
Anyone who crosses the
seas loses his religion.
All the misery in the
world is due to women.
The truth was that Indians had lost self-respect.

The British scorned them.
Being merchants, the British wanted quick profits, their

heavy taxes forced farmers to abandon their fields.
But your men are
taking all my crop!
You are still in

arrears. If you dont
pay next week. I will
send you to jail.
The natives are

unworthy of trust,
incapable of
honesty
True, your honour,

but I am honest.
Inevitably famines followed. Between 1822 and
1836 fifteen lakh Indians died of starvation.
Still, the British invented other methods

which gave them more profits.
The British policies

ruined the expert
artisans and their
business.
The goods manufactured

in England should not
have any import duty
when brought into India.
A good
idea!
The East India Companys

laws began to cripple
Indian industries.
Honeydew
4. Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833)

Ram Mohan Roy, a learned man from Bengal,
understood what was wrong with the country.
Let us not despise ourselves, our ancient culture is
great. And we are capable of greater achievements.
We must first reform our society.
Superstitions have been
ruining us.
He told his wife Uma

Cows are of different colours, but
the colour of their milk is the
same. Different teachers have
different opinions but the essence
of every religion is the same.
He was attracted by
science and modern
knowledge.
Knowledge should
be practical and
scientific.
He crossed the seas and
went to England to see what
made the British powerful.
There he told them
We accept you as rulers,

and you must accept us
as subjects. But you
must remember the
responsibility a ruler
owes to his subjects.
He started
newspapers but
the suspicious
British stopped
them in 1823.
5. Oppression (1765-1835)
But the British continued to oppress Indians. In
1818, they had passed Regulation III. Under it, an
Indian could be jailed without trial in a court.
All the time British officers in India

drew big salaries and also made
fortunes in private business.
By 1829, Britain was

exporting British goods
worth seven crore
rupees to India.
Governor-General Bentinck reported

back home
The bones of cotton weavers are bleaching

the plains of India.
Honeydew
The British prospered on

the Companys loot
while Indian industries
began to die.
6. Dissatisfaction (1835-56)
Education in India was in Persian and
Sanskrit. In 1835, a Englishman named
Macaulay suggested a change.
English education produced clerks to whom the British gave petty

jobs under them. Incidentally, it also produced a new generation
of intellectuals.
We must
educate our
brothers.
We should teach the

natives through the
English language.
And try to
improve their
material
conditions.
For that we must

convey our grievances
to the British
Parliament.
I agree.
By 1856, the
British had
conquered the
whole of India.
They cared little about the needs of Indians.

Our kings have
become puppets,
and we have lost
our old jobs.
And
lands.
They are
converting
our brothers!
You only talk!

Do something
to drive then
out!
States
British
area
7. The Sparks (1855-57)

Taxes continued to ruin the peasants. In
Bengal, the Santhals who had lost their lands
under new land rules, became desperate. In
1855, they rose in rebellion and massacred
Europeans and their supporters alike.
Discontent was brewing in the East India Companys army too.

The white
soldier gets
huge pay,
mansions to
live in,
servants.
While we get a
pittance and slow
promotions !
Thousands of other sepoys revolted. They

were stripped of their uniforms,
The Angrez asks us to cross

the sea which is against our
religion. Who
is the topiwala
to abolish our
age-old
customs?
We must
drive
out the
Angrez.
Sepoy Mangal Pande attacked the adjutant of his regiment and
was executed.
Few Englishmen had cared to understand Indian

customs or the
Oh, proud Brahmin
peoples mind.
soldiers, do you know
that the grease on the
The white
bullet you have to bite is What ?
made from the fat of
man has
cows and pigs?
deceived
us too!
humiliated and put in irons.
Soon, chapaties were sent from village

to village to tell the people that their
emperor would want their services.
Similarly lotus
flowers
circulated
among Indian
soldiers.
Death to the
foreigner !
Yes, all my
village men
will be ready.
The masses
gave all help
and shelter to
the patriots.
Honeydew
8. Revolt (1857)
Then there was a violent outbreak at Meerut.
The sepoys marched to Delhi.
Long live our

Emperor
Bahadur Shah !
The rebellion spread wider.
Many landlords had lost their lands because of the British

policies, and they were sore.
The white mans
rule must end!
Yes, we will
help you.
9. The Fight for Freedom (1857)

Many former rulers like Begum Hazrat
Mahal of Lucknow were bitter.
Popular leaders like Maulvi Ahmedulla of Faizabad told

the people
Rise, brothers, rise !
The Angrez is ruining
our land !
The white man has

taken away my
kingdom !
They joined the upsurge against the

foreigner.
Azimulla Khan
told Tatya Tope
The people rose everywhere, in Bareilly, Kanpur and

Allahabad.
We should have Peshwa Nana

Saheb as our leader in this
war of independence
Eighty-year old Kunwar Singh of Bihar received

a bullet in his wrist.
Mother Ganga !
This is my last
offering to you !
The patriots pounced upon the

British and fought pitched
battles all over North India.
from Our Freedom Movement
S.D. SAWANT
Honeydew
Comprehension Check
1. Look at picture 1 and recall the opening lines of the original song
in Hindi. Who is the singer? Who else do you see in this picture?
2. In picture 2 what do you understand by the Companys
superior weapons?
3. Who is an artisan? Why do you think the artisans suffered?
(picture 3)
4. Which picture, according to you, reveals the first sparks of
the fire of revolt?
Answer the following questions.

1. Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to
the events of 1757?
2. How did the East India Company subdue the Indian princes?
3. Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches
the same principles.
4. In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?
5. Name these people.
(i) The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.
(ii) The person who wanted to reform the society.
(iii) The person who recommended the introduction of English education
in India.
(iv) Two popular leaders who led the revolt (Choices may vary.)
6. Mention the following.
(i) Two examples of social practices prevailing then.
(ii) Two oppressive policies of the British.
(iii) Two ways in which common people suffered.
(iv) Four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of
Independence.
In comics what the characters speak is put in bubbles. This is direct narration.
When we report what the characters speak, we use the method of indirect narration.
Study these examples.

First farmer: Why are your men taking away the entire crop?
Second farmer: Your men have taken away everything.
Officer: You are still in arrears. If you dont pay tax next week, Ill send you to jail.
The first farmer asked the officer why his men were taking away the entire crop.
The second farmer said that their men had taken away everything.
The officer replied that they were still in arrears and warned them that if
they did not pay tax the following week, he (the officer) would send them
(the farmers) to jail.
1. Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
(i) First man: We must educate our brothers.
Second man: And try to improve their material conditions.
Third man: For that we must convey our grievances to the British Parliament.
The first man said that ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The second man added that _______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The third man suggested that ________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(ii) First soldier: The white soldier gets huge pay, mansions and servants.
Second soldier: We get a pittance and slow promotions.
Third soldier: Who are the British to abolish our customs?
The first soldier said that ___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The second soldier remarked that __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
The third soldier asked __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
1. Playact the role of farmers who have grievances against the policies
of the government. Rewrite their speech bubbles in dialogue form first.
Honeydew
2. Look at the pictures.
Fox accidentally falls into a well
How do I get out of here?
Hello! Is this water sweet?

Too sweet! Ive had so

much, I might faint.
Thanks for the help.

Come out when you can.
Let me taste it.
My mother used to say:

Be careful how you take the
advice of people you dont know.
(i) Ask one another questions about the pictures.

Where is the fox?
How did it happen?
What is the fox thinking?
Who is the visitor?
What does she want to know?
What is the foxs reply?
What happens next?
Where is the goat?
Where is the fox now?
What is the goat thinking?
(ii) Write the story in your own words. Give it a title.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Honeydew
3. Read the following news item.

History becomes fun at this school
Mumbai: Students in the sixth grade of a certain school in Navi Mumbai love
their history lessons thanks to a novel teaching aid. It is not surprising given
the fact that their study material includes comic books and they use their
textbooks for reference to put things into perspective. Besides, students are
encouraged to tap other sources of information as well. During history classes,
students pore over comic strips of historical periods, enact characters of
emperors and tyrants, and have animated discussions on the subject. History
has become fun.
In the class students are asked to read the comic strip aloud, after which
they break up into groups of four, discuss what they have heard and write a
summary. Each group leader reads his group's summary aloud and the
whole class jumps into discussion and debate, adding points, disagreeing
and qualifying points of view. A sixth grade student says, Its a lot of fun
because everyone gets a chance to express themselves and the summary
takes everyone's ideas into account.
According to the school principal the comic strip format and visuals appeal
to students. A historian feels that using comics in schools is a great idea.
Comics and acting help students understand what characters in the story
are actually thinking.
(adapted from The Times of India, New Delhi, October 2007)
Based on this news item, write a paragraph on what you think about this
new method of teaching history.
4. Find the chapters in your history book that correspond to the episodes and
events described in this comic. Note how the information contained in a few
chapters of history has been condensed to a few pages with the help of pictures
and speech bubbles.
5. Create a comic of your own using this story.
Once the Sun and the Wind began to quarrel, each one saying that he
was stronger than the other. At last they decided to test each others
strength. A man with a cloak around his shoulders was passing by.
The Wind boasted, Using my strength I can make that man take off
the cloak. The Sun agreed. The Wind blew hard. The man felt so cold
that he clasped his cloak round his body as tightly as possible.
Now it was the turn of the Sun which shone very hot indeed. The
man felt so hot that he at once removed the cloak from his body.
Seeing the man taking off the cloak, the Wind conceded defeat.

Do you have a pet cat? Have you ever noticed anything
mysterious about it? It is not easy to say whether every cat is a
mystery, but Macavity is one, for sure. What is it that makes
him a perfect mystery cat? Read the poem and find out.
Macavitys a Mystery Cat: hes called the Hidden

Paw
For hes the master criminal who can defy the Law.
Hes the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squads
despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime Macavitys
not there!
Macavity, Macavity, theres no one like
Macavity,
Hes broken every human law, he breaks
the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir
stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime
Macavitys not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you
may look up in the air
But I tell you once and once again,
Macavitys not there!
Macavitys a ginger cat, hes very tall and
thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for
his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his
head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.

He sways his head from side to side, with movements
like a snake;
And when you think hes half asleep, hes always wide awake.
Macavity, Macavity, theres no one like Macavity,
For hes a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in
the square
But when a crimes discovered, then Macavitys not there!
T.S. ELIOT
defy: disobey or resist openly

Scotland Yard: the headquarters of the London police force
Flying Squad: a group of police or soldiers ready to move into action quickly
levitation: floating in the air without support
fiend: devil
feline: of, or relating to, a cat
depravity: moral corruption
1. Read the first stanza and think.

(i) Is Macavity a cat really?
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be?
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) A master criminal is one who ___________________
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because ___________________
(iii) ___________________ because Macavity moves much faster than them.
3. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.
(Jules Verne)
Which law is Macavity breaking in the light of the comment above?
Macavity : The Mystery Cat
4. Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of

your own.
5. Say False or True for each of the following statements.
(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat.
(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do.
(iii) Macavity has supernatural powers.
(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright.
(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one.
6. Having read the poem, try to guess whether the poet is fond of cats. If so,
why does he call Macavity a fiend and monster?
7. Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect? Find a few examples of it
and read those lines aloud.
Rick: What did Papa Firefly tell Mama Firefly?

Hick: I dont know.
Rick: Isnt our child bright for his age!
Mary: Why isnt a nose twelve inches long?
Jo: I dont know. Why?
Mary: Because if it was twelve inches long it would be
a foot.
Anita: I got a hundred in school today.
Mother: Thats wonderful. What did you get a hundred in?
Anita: Forty in Maths and sixty in English.
Honeydew
Before you read

Do you have a good memory? Has your memory ever
played any tricks on you?
Forgetfulness often puts you in a tight spot. But forgetting
a part of your life completely may drive you crazy. In this
story, Bepin Babu goes nearly crazy because he cannot
recollect his stay at Ranchi. He has never been to Ranchi,
he insists, though there are many witnesses to the
contrary. What is the suspense all about?
idle chat:
unnecessary,
routine
conversation
meek:
quiet; humble
Every Monday, on his way back from work, Bepin

Choudhury would drop in at Kalicharan's in New Market
to buy books. Crime stories, ghost stories and thrillers.
He had to buy at least five at a time to last him through
the week. He lived alone, was not a good mixer, had few
friends, and didnt like spending time in idle chat. Today,
at Kalicharans, Bepin Babu had the feeling that
someone was observing him from close quarters. He
turned round and found himself looking at a round
faced, meek looking man who now broke into a smile.
I dont suppose you recognise me.
Have we met before? asked Bepin Babu.
The man looked greatly surprised. We met every day for a
whole week. I arranged for a car to take you to the Hudroo falls.
In 1958. In Ranchi. My name is Parimal Ghose.

Ranchi?
Now Bepin Babu realised that it was not he but this
man who was making a mistake. Bepin Babu had never
been to Ranchi. He had been at the point of going several
times, but never made it. He smiled and said, Do you
know who I am?
The man raised his eyebrows, bit his tongue and
said, Do I know you? Who doesnt know Bepin
Choudhury?
Bepin Babu now turned towards the bookshelves and
said, Still youre making a mistake. One often does.
Ive never been to Ranchi.
The man now laughed aloud.
What are you saying, Mr Choudhury? You had a
fall in Hudroo and cut your right knee. I brought you
iodine. I had fixed up a car for you to go to Netarhat the
next day, but you couldnt because of the pain in the
knee. Cant you recall anything? Someone else you know
was also in Ranchi at that time. Mr Dinesh Mukerji.
You stayed in a bungalow. You said you didnt like hotel
food and would prefer to have your meals cooked by a
utter disbelief:
complete
surprise
bawarchi. Mr Mukerji stayed with his sister. You had a

big argument about the moon landing, remember? Ill
tell you more: you always carried a bag with your books
in it on your sight-seeing trips. Am I right or not?
Bepin Babu spoke quietly, his eyes still on the books.
Which month in 58 are you talking about?
The man said, October.
No, sir, said Bepin Babu. I spent Puja in 58 with
a friend in Kanpur. Youre making a mistake. Good day.
But the man didnt go, nor did he stop talking.
Very strange. One evening I had tea with you in a
veranda of your bungalow. You spoke about your family.
You said you had no children, and that you had lost
your wife ten years ago. Your only brother had died
insane, which is why you didnt want to visit the mental
hospital in Ranchi...
When Bepin Babu had paid for the books and was
leaving the shop, the man was still looking at him in
utter disbelief.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?
2. Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October '58?
3. Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew
about Bepin Babu.
II
(his) head
reeled:
he was
shocked and
confused
Honeydew
Bepin Babus car was safely parked in Bertram Street

by the Lighthouse Cinema. He told the driver as he got
into the car, Just drive by the Ganga, will you, Sitaram.
Driving up the Strand Road, Bepin Babu regretted
having paid so much attention to the intruder. He had
never been to Ranchi no question about it. It was
inconceivable that he should forget such an incident
which took place only six or seven years ago. He had an
excellent memory. Unless Bepin Babus head reeled.
Was he losing his mind? But how could that be? He

was working daily in his office. It was a big firm, and he
was doing a responsible job. He wasnt aware of anything
ever going seriously wrong. Only today he spoke for
half an hour at an important meeting. And yet...
And yet the man knew a great deal about him. How?
He even seemed to know some intimate details. The bag
of books, wifes death, brothers insanity... The only
mistake was about his having gone to Ranchi. Not a
mistake; a deliberate lie. In 58, during the Pujas, he
was in Kanpur at his friend Haridas Bagchis place.
All Bepin Babu had to do was write to no, there was
no way of writing to Haridas. Bepin Babu suddenly
remembered that Haridas had left with his wife for Japan
some weeks ago, and he didnt have his address.
But where was the need for proof? He himself was
fully aware that he hadnt been to Ranchi and that
was that.
The river breeze was bracing, and yet a slight
discomfort lingered in Bepin Babus mind.
Around Hastings, Bepin Babu decided to roll up his
trousers and take a look at his right knee.
There was the mark of an old inch-long cut. It was
impossible to tell when the injury had occurred.
losing his
mind:
becoming
mad
intimate:
very personal
and private
bracing:
stimulating
going nuts:
going mad/
crazy
getting into
peoples hair:
interfering
with and
annoying
people.
Honeydew
Had he never had a fall as a boy and cut his knee? He

tried to recall such an incident, but couldnt.
Then Bepin Babu suddenly thought of Dinesh
Mukerji. The man had said that Dinesh was in Ranchi
at the same time. The best thing surely would be to ask
him. He lived quite near in Beninandan Street. What
about going right now? But then, if he had really never
been to Ranchi, what would Dinesh think if Bepin Babu
asked for a confirmation? He would probably conclude
Bepin Babu was going nuts. No; it would be ridiculous
to ask him.
And he knew how ruthless Dineshs sarcasm
could be.
Sipping a cold drink in his air-conditioned living
room, Bepin Babu felt at ease again. Such a nuisance!
Just because they have nothing else to do, they go about
getting into other peoples hair.
After dinner, snuggling in bed with one of the new
thrillers, Bepin Babu forgot all about the man in New
Market.
Next day, in the office, Bepin Babu noticed that with
every passing hour, the previous days encounter was
occupying more and more of his mind. If the man knew
so much about Bepin Babu, how could he make such a
mistake about the Ranchi trip?
Just before lunch Bepin Babu decided to ring up
Dinesh Mukerji. It was better to settle the question over
the phone; at least the embarrassment on his face
wouldnt show.
Two-Three-Five-Six-One-Six. Bepin Babu dialled
the number.
Hallo.
Is that Dinesh? This is Bepin here.
Well, well whats the news?
I just wanted to find out if you recalled an incident
which took place in 58.
58? What incident?

Were you in Calcutta right through that year? Thats
the first thing Ive got to know.
Wait just a minute... 58... just let me check in
my diary.
For a minute there was silence. Bepin Babu could
feel that his heartbeat had gone up. He was sweating
a little.
Hallo.
Yes.
I've got it. Id been out twice.
Where?
Once in February nearby to Krishnanagar to a
nephews wedding. And then... but youd know about
this one. The trip to Ranchi. You were there too. Thats
all. But whats all this sleuthing about?
No. I just wanted to anyway, thanks.
Bepin Babu slammed the receiver down and gripped
his head with his hands. He felt his head swimming. A
chill seemed to spread over his body. There were
sandwiches in his tiffin box, but he didnt eat them. He
had lost his appetite.
sleuthing:
investigating
(an event)
Comprehension Check
1. Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?
2. How did he try to decide who was righthis memory or
Parimal Ghose?
3. Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr Mukerji? Why did
he finally decide to phone him?
4. What did Mr Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add
to his worries?
III
After lunch-time, Bepin Babu realised that he couldnt
possibly carry on sitting at his desk and working. This
had never happened in the twenty-five years he had
been with the firm. He had a reputation for being a
carry on:
continue
conscientious:
careful and
correct
head was in a
whirl:
(here)
confused and
unable to
think clearly
gather his wits
together:
make an effort
to become
calm and
think clearly
having a
rough time:
having a lot of
problems
turning up
like a bad
penny:
appearing at a
place where
one is not
welcome
didnt beat
about the
bush:
came straight
to the point
off and on:
now and then
throw your
mind back:
think back
and recall a
past event
Honeydew
tireless, conscientious worker. But today his head was

in a whirl.
Back home at two-thirty, Bepin Babu lay down in
bed and tried to gather his wits together. He knew that
it was possible to lose ones memory through an injury
in the head, but he didnt know of a single instance of
someone remembering everything except one particular
incident and a fairly recent and significant one at
that. He had always wanted to go to Ranchi; to have
gone there, done things, and not to remember was
something utterly impossible.
At seven thirty, Bepin Babus servant came and
announced, Chuni Babu, sir. Says its very important.
Bepin Babu knew what Chuni had come for. Chunilal
had been at school with him. Hed been having a rough
time lately and had been coming to see him about a
job. Bepin Babu knew it was not possible to do anything
for him and, in fact, told him so. But Chuni kept turning
up like a bad penny.
Bepin Babu sent word that not only was it not
possible for him to see Chuni now, but not in several
weeks.
But as soon as the servant stepped out of the room,
it struck Bepin Babu that Chuni might remember
something about the 58 trip. There was no harm in
asking him.
Bepin Babu hurried down the stairs and into the
living room. Chuni was about to leave, but seeing Bepin
Babu appear, he turned round hopefully.
Bepin Babu didnt beat about the bush.
Listen, Chuni - I want to ask you something. You
have a good memory, and you've been seeing me off
and on for a long time. Just throw your mind back and
tell me - did I go to Ranchi in 58?
Chuni said, 58? It must have been 58. Or was it
59?
Youre sure that I did go to Ranchi?

Chunis look of amazement was not unmixed with
worry.
D you mean you have doubts about having gone at
all?
Did I go? Do you remember clearly?
Chuni sat down on the sofa, fixed Bepin Babu with
a long, hard stare and said, Bepin, have you taken to
drugs or something? As far as I know, you had a clean
record where such things were concerned. I know that
old friendships dont mean much to you, but at least
you had a good memory. You cant really mean that
youve forgotten about the Ranchi trip?
Bepin Babu had to turn away from Chunis
incredulous stare.
Do you remember what my last job was? asked
Chunilal.
Of course. You worked in a travel agency.
You remember that and you dont remember that it
was I who fixed up your railway booking for Ranchi? I
went to the station to see you off; one of the fans in
your compartment was not working I got an electrician
to fix it. Have you forgotten everything? Whatever is the
matter with you? You dont look too well, you know.
Bepin Babu sighed and shook his head.
Ive been working too hard, he said at last. That
must be the reason. Must see about consulting a
specialist.
Doubtless it was Bepins condition which made
Chunilal leave without mentioning anything about a job.
Paresh Chanda was a young physician with a pair of
bright eyes and a sharp nose. He became thoughtful
when he heard about Bepin Babus symptoms. Look,
Dr Chanda, said Bepin Babu desperately, You must
cure me of this horrible illness. I cant tell you how it's
affecting my work.
must see about

consulting:
(here) may
have to
consult
tranquilliser:
a medicine to
reduce stress
and anxiety
procured:
got (with a
little difficulty)
Dr Chanda shook his head.

You know what, Mr Choudhury, he said. Ive never
had to deal with a case such as yours. Frankly, this is
quite outside my field of experience. But I have one
suggestion. I dont know if itll work, but its worth a
try. It can do no harm.
Bepin Babu leaned forward anxiously.
As far as I can make out, said Dr Chanda, And I
think youre of the same opinion you must have been
to Ranchi, but due to some unknown reason, the entire
episode has slipped out of your mind. What I suggest is
that you go to Ranchi once again. The sight of the place
may remind you of your trip. This is not impossible.
More than that I cannot do at the moment. Im
prescribing a nerve tonic and a tranquilliser. Sleep is
essential, or the symptoms will get more pronounced.
Bepin Babu felt somewhat better the next morning.
After breakfast, he rang up his office, gave some
instructions and then procured a first class ticket for
Ranchi for the same evening.
Comprehension Check
1. Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?
2. Why was Dr Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about
Bepin Babu's loss of memory?
IV
Getting off the train at Ranchi next morning, he realised

at once that he had never been there before.
He came out of the station, took a taxi and drove
around the town for a while. He realised that the streets,
the buildings, the hotels, the bazaars, the Morabadi Hill
with none of these had he the slightest acquaintance.
Would a trip to the Hudroo Falls help? He didn't believe
so, but, at the same time, he didn't wish to leave with the
feeling that he hadnt tried enough. So he arranged for a
car and left for Hudroo in the afternoon.
Honeydew
At five oclock the same afternoon in Hudroo, two

Gujarati gentlemen from a group of picnickers discovered
Bepin Babu lying unconscious beside a boulder. When
he came round, the first thing Bepin Babu said was,
Im finished. Theres no hope left.
Next morning, Bepin Babu was back in Calcutta. He
realised that there was truly no hope for him. Soon he
would lose everything: his will to work, his confidence,
his ability, his balance of mind. Was he going to end up
in the asylum at...? Bepin Babu couldnt think any more.
Back home, he rang up Dr Chanda and asked him to
come over. Then, after a shower, he got into bed with an
ice bag clamped on his head. Just then the servant brought
him a letter which someone had left in the letter box.
A greenish envelope with his name in red ink on it.
came round:
regained
consciousness
Above the name it said Urgent and Confidential. In

spite of his condition, Bepin Babu had a feeling that he
ought to go through the letter. He tore open the envelope
and took out the letter. This is what he read
in retribution
of:
as a
punishment
for
Dear Bepin,
I had no idea that affluence would bring about the kind of change in
you that it has done. Was it so difficult for you to help out an old friend
down on his luck? I have no money, so my resources are limited.
What I have is imagination, a part of which I used in retribution of your
unfeeling behaviour.
Well, youll be all right again now. A novel Ive written is being
considered by a publisher. If he likes it enough, it'll see me through the
next few months.
Yours, Chunilal
When Dr Chanda came, Bepin Babu said, Im fine.

It all came back as soon as I got off the train at Ranchi.
A unique case, said Dr Chanda. I shall certainly
write about it in a medical journal.
The reason why I sent for you, said Bepin Babu, is
that I have a pain in the hip from a fall I had in Ranchi.
If you could prescribe a pain killer
SATYAJIT RAY
Comprehension Check
1. Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all
about a trip to Ranchi?
2. Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says
he has no money; what is it that he does have?
1. The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man.

What evidence can you find in the story to support this?
2. Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was
the result of this meeting?
3. Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls. What do you think was
the reason for this?
4. How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal
had tricked him?
Honeydew
1. Look at these two sentences.

He had to buy at least five books to last him through the week.
Bepin had to ask Chuni to leave.
Had to is used to show that it was very important or necessary for
Bepin Babu to do something. He had no choice. We can also use have
to/ has to in the same way.
Fill in the blanks below using had to/ have to/ has to.
(i) I ________________ cut my hair every month.
(ii) We ________________ go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She ________________ tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They ________________ take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We ________________ complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit ________________ finish his homework before he could come
out to play.
(vii) I ________________ repair my cycle yesterday.
2. Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the
dictionary in the following way.
First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a
dictionary.
(Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or
adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom).
To help you, we have put in bold the word under which you must look
for the idiom in the dictionary.)
(close: adjective)
(i) at/from close quarters
(break: verb; look under break into
(ii) break into a smile
something)
(iii) carry on
(carry: verb)
(you may find related meanings under
(iv) have a clean record
both these words)
(verb)
(v) beat about the bush
Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.
3. Study the sentences in the columns below.

A
I saw this movie yesterday.
B
I have seen this movie already.
Bepin Babu worked here for a week Bepin Babu has worked here since
last year.
2003.
Chunilal wrote to a publisher last Chunilal has written to a publisher.
week.
I visited Ranchi once, long ago.
I have visited Ranchi once before.
Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms.
Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.
(i) Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same
place?
(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from
the publisher?
(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he
saw?
(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still
fresh in the speaker's mind?
4. Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words
in each sentence to form correct sentences.
You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you
have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its
meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning.
One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.
Jumbled sentence: vanished/ The car/ seemed to/ into thin/ have/
air.
Ans: The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Idiom: vanished into thin air: disappeared or vanished in a mysterious way
(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush
Ans: _______________________________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________________________
Honeydew
(ii) dont pay/If you/ attention/you might/the wrong train/to the

announcement/board
Ans: _______________________________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________________________
(iii) The villagers/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin
Ans: _______________________________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________________________
(iv) Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctors/eat
early/that he was
Ans: _______________________________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________________________
(v) the students/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their
lessons/raised/they had revised
Ans: _______________________________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________________________
1. What do you think happened after Bepin Babu came to know the truth?
Was he angry with this friend for playing such a trick on him? Or do you
think he decided to help a friend in need?
2. Imagine you are Bepin Choudhury. You have received Chunilals letter
and feel ashamed that you did not bother to help an old friend down on
his luck. Now you want to do something for him. Write a letter to Chunilal
promising to help him soon.
Or
A prank is a childish trick. Do you remember any incident when someone
played a prank on you or your friends? Describe the prank in a paragraph.
There was an old woman

Who lived under a hill,
And if shes not gone
She lives there still.
A bargain is an agreement in which both parties promise to do

something for each other. Someone is looking for work, waiting
to be hired. He strikes a bargain but thinks it worthless. He
tries twice again but doesn't like either. Finally, in the last
bargain, when he is hired for nothing whatever, he is happy as
never before. What is the bargain, and why is it the best?
Come and hire me, I cried, while in the morning

I was walking on the stone-paved road.
Sword in hand the King came in his chariot.
He held my hand and said, I will hire you with
my power,
But his power counted for naught, and he went away in
his chariot.
In the heat of the mid-day the houses stood with
shut doors.
I wandered along the crooked lane.
An old man came out with his bag of gold.
He pondered and said, I will hire you with my money.
He weighed his coins one by one, but I turned away.
It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower.

The fair maid came out and said, I will hire you with
a smile.
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went
back alone into the dark.
The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke
waywardly.
A child sat playing with shells.
He raised his head and seemed to know me and said,
I hire you with nothing.
From henceforward that bargain struck in childs play
made me a free man.
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
1. Who is the speaker in the poem?

2. The king, sword in hand suggests
(i) wealth
(ii) power
(iii) more power than wealth.
Mark the appropriate item in the context of stanza 1.
3. The old man offered the speaker a lot of money.
Why did he turn down the offer?
4. Find in the poem, lines that match the following. Read both one after another.
(i) I have nothing to give you
except goodwill and cheer.
(ii) Her happiness was no more
than sorrow in disguise.
(iii) The kings might was not worth much.
5. How did the speaker feel after talking to the child on the beach?
The Last Bargain
Before you read

Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia was a member of the first
successful Indian expedition to Mount Everest in 1965.
How did he feel when he stood on the highest point in
the world? Let us hear his story in his words
climbing the summit and, then, the more difficult task
of climbing the summit within.
surged:
arose
suddenly and
intensely
panorama:
view of a wide
area
jubilant:
very happy
because of
success
tinge:
trace/shade
Of all the emotions which surged through me as I stood

on the summit of Everest, looking over miles of
panorama below us, the dominant one I think was
humility. The physical in me seemed to say, Thank
God, its all over! However, instead of being jubilant,
there was a tinge of sadness. Was it because I had already
done the ultimate in climbing and there would be
nothing higher to climb and all roads hereafter would
lead down?
By climbing the summit of Everest you are
overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and thankfulness.
It is a joy which lasts a lifetime. The experience changes
you completely. The man who has been to the mountains
is never the same again.
As I look back at life after climbing Everest I cannot
help remarking about the other summit the summit
of the mind no less formidable and no easier to climb.
Even when getting down from the summit, once the

physical exhaustion had gone, I began asking myself
the question why I had climbed Everest. Why did the
act of reaching the summit have such a hold on my
imagination? It was already a thing of the past,
something done yesterday. With every passing day,
it would become more remote. And then what would
remain? Would my memories fade slowly away?
All these thoughts led me to question myself as
to why people climb mountains. It is not easy to
answer the question. The simplest answer would be,
as others have said, Because it is there. It presents
great difficulties. Man takes delight in overcoming
obstacles. The obstacles in climbing a mountain are
physical. A climb to a summit means endurance,
persistence and will power. The demonstration of
these physical qualities is no doubt exhilarating, as it
was for me also.
I have a more personal answer to the question. From
my childhood I have been attracted by mountains. I
had been miserable, lost, when away from mountains,
in the plains. Mountains are nature at its best. Their
beauty and majesty pose a great challenge, and like
many, I believe that mountains are a means of
communion with God.
Once having granted this, the question remains: Why
Everest? Because it is the highest, the mightiest and
has defied many previous attempts. It takes the last
ounce of ones energy. It is a brutal struggle with rock
and ice. Once taken up, it cannot be given up halfway
even when ones life is at stake. The passage back is as
difficult as the passage onwards. And then, when the
summit is climbed, there is the exhilaration, the joy of
having done something, the sense of a battle fought
and won. There is a feeling of victory and of happiness.
Glimpsing a peak in the distance, I get transported
to another world. I experience a change within myself
exhaustion:
fatigue;
tiredness
exhilarating:
very exciting
communion:
state or feeling
of close relationship
defied:
frustrated;
resisted
The Summit Within
mystical:
spiritual
firm in:
make yourself
firm
belays:
fixes a rope
ascent:
climb
Honeydew
which can only be called mystical. By its beauty,

aloofness, might, ruggedness, and the difficulties
encountered on the way, the peak draws me to it as
Everest did. It is a challenge that is difficult to resist.
Looking back I find that I have not
yet fully explained why I climbed
Everest. It is like answering a question
why you breathe. Why do you help your
neighbour? Why do you want to do good
acts? There is no final answer possible.
And then there is the fact that Everest
is not just a physical climb. The man
who has been to the mountain-top becomes
conscious in a special manner of his own
smallness in this large universe.
The physical conquest of a mountain
is only one part of the achievement.
There is more to it than that. It is
followed by a sense of fulfilment. There
is the satisfaction of a deep urge to rise
above ones surroundings. It is the
eternal love for adventure in man. The experience is not
merely physical. It is emotional. It is spiritual.
Consider a typical climb, towards the summit on the
last heights. You are sharing a rope with another
climber. You firm in. He cuts the steps in the hard ice.
Then he belays and you inch your way up. The climb is
grim. You strain every nerve as you take every step.
Famous climbers have left records of the help given by
others. They have also recorded how they needed just
that help. Else they might have given up. Breathing is
difficult. You curse yourself for having let yourself in for
this. You wonder why you ever undertook the ascent.
There are moments when you feel like going back. It
would be sheer relief to go down, instead of up. But
almost at once you snap out of that mood. There is
something in you that does not let you give up the
struggle. And you go on. Your companion keeps up with

you. Just another fifty feet. Or a hundred, maybe. You
ask yourself: Is there no end? You look at your
companion and he looks at you. You draw inspiration
from each other. And then, without first being aware of
it, you are at the summit.
Looking round from the summit you tell yourself
that it was worthwhile. Other silvery peaks appear
through the clouds. If you are lucky the sun may be on
them. The surrounding peaks look like a jewelled
necklace around the neck of your summit. Below, you
see vast valleys sloping into the distance. It is an
ennobling, enriching experience to just look down from
the summit of a mountain. You bow down and make
your obeisance to whichever God you worship.
I left on Everest a picture of Guru Nanak. Rawat left
a picture of Goddess Durga. Phu Dorji left a relic of the
Buddha. Edmund Hillary had buried a cross under a
cairn (a heap of rocks and stones) in the snow. These
are not symbols of conquest but of reverence.
The experience of having
climbed to the summit
changes you completely.
There is another summit.
It is within yourself. It is in
your own mind. Each man
carries within himself his
own mountain peak. He
must climb it to reach to a
fuller knowledge of himself.
It is fearful, and unscalable.
It cannot be climbed by
anyone else. You yourself
have to do it. The physical
act of climbing to the
The author and Phu-Dorji on the
summit of a mountain
summit of Mount Everest
make your
obeisance:
show your
obedience or
submission
The Summit Within
ordeals:
painful
experiences
resolutely:
with
determination
or firmness
outside is akin to the act of climbing the mountain

within. The effects of both the climbs are the same.
Whether the mountain you climb is physical or
emotional and spiritual, the climb will certainly change
you. It teaches you much about the world and about
yourself.
I venture to think that my experience as an Everester
has provided me with the inspiration to face lifes ordeals
resolutely. Climbing the mountain was a worthwhile
experience. The conquest of the internal summit is
equally worthwhile. The internal summits are, perhaps,
higher than Everest.
H.P.S. AHLUWALIA
Comprehension Check
1. Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed.
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.
2. The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.
3. The summit of the mind refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant.
Honeydew
1. Answer the following questions.

(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the authors
climb?
(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do
it for, really?
(v) He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in
this large universe. This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in
the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?
(vi) What were the symbols of reverence left by members of the team on
Everest?
(vii) What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach
him?
2. Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence
should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and
rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely.
One who has been to the mountains is never the same again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
_________________________________________
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best.
_________________________________________
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying.
_________________________________________
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual
experience.
_________________________________________
The Summit Within
1. Look at the italicised phrases and their meanings given in brackets.

Mountains are nature
at its best.
Your life is at risk.
He was at his
best/worst in the
last meeting.
(natures best form and appearance)

(in danger; you run the risk of losing
your life.)
(it was his best/worst performance.)
Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases

from those given in the box.
at hand
at once
at all
at a low ebb
at first sight
(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the
principal ________________ and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not ________________ Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle.
He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love ________________.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits ________________ today?
(Use such in the phrase)
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard
before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close ________________.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
2. Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(ii) persist ________________
(i) endure ________________
(iii) signify ________________
(iv) confide ________________
(v) maintain ________________
(vi) abhor ________________
Honeydew
3. (i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.

A
remote
means
dominant
formidable
B
difficult to overcome
most prominent
be overcome/overpowered
method(s)
overwhelmed
far away from
(ii) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from
under A.
(a) There were ________________ obstacles on the way, but we reached
our destination safely.
(b) We have no ________________ of finding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house ________________ from any town or village
is more than I can tell.
(d) ________________ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his
valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a ___________ position above the sleepy town.
Write a composition describing a visit to the hills, or any place which you found
beautiful and inspiring.
Before writing, work in small groups. Discuss the points given below and
decide if you want to use some of these points in your composition.
Consider this sentence
Mountains are a means of communion with God.
Think of the act of worship or prayer. You believe yourself to be in the presence
of the divine power. In a way, you are in communion with that power.
Imagine the climber on top of the summitthe height attained; limitless
sky above; the climbers last ounce of energy spent; feelings of gratitude,
humility and peace.
The majesty of the mountains does bring you close to nature and the
spirit and joy that lives there, if you have the ability to feel it.
Some composition may be read aloud to the entire class afterwards.
The Summit Within
The school boy in the poem is not a happy child. What makes
him unhappy? Why does he compare himself to a bird that lives
in a cage, or a plant that withers when it should blossom.
I love to rise in a summer morn,

When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me.
O! what sweet company.
But to go to school in a summer morn,
O! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day,
In sighing and dismay.
Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour.
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learnings bower,
Worn thro with the dreary shower.
How can the bird that is born for joy,
Sit in a cage and sing.
How can a child when fears annoy,
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring.
O! Father and Mother, if buds are nipd,

And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are stripd
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and cares dismay,
How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?
WILLIAM BLAKE
nipd: (nipped) to nip something in the bud is to stop or

destroy it at an early stage of its development
stripd: stripped
plants stripd of joy: if joy is taken away from plants
1. Find three or four words/phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child's

happiness and joy.
2. In stanza 2, the mood changes. Which words/phrases reflect the
changed mood?
3. A cruel eye outworn (stanza 2) refers to
(i) the classroom which is shabby/noisy.
(ii) the lessons which are difficult/uninteresting.
(iii) the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work and no play.
Mark the answer that you consider right.
4. Nor sit in learnings bower
worn thro with the dreary shower
Which of the following is a close paraphrase of the lines above?
(i) Nor can I sit in a roofless classroom when it is raining.
(ii) Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing
and explaining.
(iii) Nor can I sit in the school garden for fear of getting wet in the rain.
The School Boy
Read the following poem and compare it with The School Boy.
The One Furrow
When I was young, I went to school
With pencil and footrule
Sponge and slate,
And sat on a tall stool
At learnings gate.
When I was older, the gate swung wide;
Clever and keen-eyed
In I pressed,
But found in the minds pride
No peace, no rest.
Then who was it taught me back to go
To cattle and barrow,
Field and plough:
To keep to the one furrow,
As I do now?
R.S. THOMAS

Quicksand works slowly.
There is no egg in eggplant, no ham in hamburger
and neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
Boxing rings are square.
There are noses that run and feet that smell.
Honeydew
Before you read

Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
home remedies for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jodys father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his fathers bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, How are you feeling, Pa?
Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasnt it a close shave!
I agree.
Penny said, Im proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.
drift back to:

go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Pa-
Yes, son.
Pa, do you recollect the doe and the fawn?
hemmed in:
(here) caught
in a situation
where one
cant say no
acorns:
small brown
nuts
Honeydew
I can never forget them. The poor doe saved me,

thats certain.
Pa, the fawn may be out there yet. It might be hungry
and very scared.
I suppose so.
Pa, Im a big boy now and dont need to drink milk.
Why dont I go and see if I can find the fawn?
And bring it here?
And raise it.
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
Boy, youve got me hemmed in.
It wont take much to raise it, Pa. Itll soon start
eating leaves and acorns.
You are smarter than boys of your age.
We took its mother, and it wasnt to blame.
Surely it seems ungrateful to leave it to starve. Son, I cant
say No to you. I never thought Id live to see another day.
Can I ride back with Mill-wheel and see if I can

find it?
Tell your Ma I said you can go.
He sidled back to the table and sat down. His mother
was pouring coffee for everyone.
He said, Ma, Pa says I can go bring back the fawn.
She held the coffee pot in mid-air.
What fawn?
The fawn belonging to the doe we killed. We used
the does liver to draw out the poison and save Pa.
She gasped.
Well, for pity sake
Pa says it would be ungrateful to leave it to starve.
Doc Wilson said, Thats right, Maam. Nothing in
the world comes quite free. The boys right and his
daddys right.
Mill-wheel said, He can ride back with me. Ill help
him find it.
She set down the pot helplessly.
Well, if youll give it your milkweve got nothing
else to feed it.
Mill-wheel said, Come on, boy. Weve got to get
riding.
Ma Baxter asked anxiously,
Youll not be gone long?
Jody said, Ill be back
before dinner for sure.
Mill-wheel mounted his
horse and pulled Jody up
behind him.
He said to Mill-wheel,
Do you think the fawns
still there? Will you help
me find him?
Well find him if hes
alive. How you know its a
he?
sidled back:
walked back
quietly, trying
not to be
noticed
This is Jodys Fawn
every which
way:
in different
directions
The spots were all in a line. On a doe-fawn, Pa says

the spots are every which way
Comprehension Check
1.
2.
3.
4.
What had happened to Jodys father?

How did the doe save Pennys life?
Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?
How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?
II
makes a
bearing:
acts as a
compass and
helps to
identify
directions
Honeydew
Jody gave himself over to thoughts of the fawn. They

passed the abandoned clearing.
He said, Cut to the north, Mill-wheel. It was up here
that Pa got bitten by the snake and killed the doe and I
saw the fawn.
Suddenly Jody was unwilling to have Mill-wheel with
him. If the fawn was dead, or could not be found, he
could not have his disappointment seen. And if the fawn
was there, the meeting would be so lovely and so secret
that he could not endure to share it.
He said, Its not far now, but the scrub is very thick
for a horse. I can make it on foot.
But Im afraid to leave you, boy. Suppose you got
lost or got bitten by the snake, too?
Ill take care. It might take me a long time to find
the fawn, if hes wandered. Leave me off right here.
All right, but you take it easy now. You know north
here, and east?
There, and there. That tall pine makes a bearing.
So long.
So long, Mill-wheel. Im obliged.
He waited for the sound of the hooves to end, then
cut to the right. The scrub was still. Only his own
crackling of twigs sounded across the silence. He
wondered for an instant if he had mistaken his direction.
Then a buzzard rose in front of him and flapped into

the air. He came into the clearing under the oaks.
Buzzards sat in a circle around the carcass of the doe.
They turned their heads on their long scrawny necks
and hissed at him. He threw his bough at them and
they flew into an adjacent tree. The sand showed large
cat prints but the big cats killed fresh, and they had
left the doe to the carrion birds.
He parted the grass at the place where he had seen
the fawn. It did not seem possible that it was only
yesterday. The fawn was not there. He circled the
clearing. There was no sound, no sign. The buzzards
clacked their wings, impatient to return to their
business. He returned to the spot where the fawn had
emerged and dropped on all fours, studying the sand
for the small hoof prints. The nights rain had washed
away all tracks except those of cat and buzzards.
buzzard:
a large bird
like the
vulture that
eats the flesh
of dead
animals
adjacent:
nearby
parted:
moved or
pushed aside
Comprehension Check
1. Jody didnt want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What
were they?
2. Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?
III
Movement directly in front of him startled him so that
he tumbled backward. The fawn lifted its face to his. It
turned its head with a wide, wondering motion and
shook him through with the stare of its liquid eyes. It
was quivering. It made no effort to rise or run. Jody
could not trust himself to move.
He whispered, Its me.
The fawn lifted its nose, scenting him. He reached
out one hand and laid it on the soft neck. The touch
made him delirious. He moved forward on all fours until
he was close beside it. He put his arms around its body.
A light convulsion passed over it but it did not stir.
quivering:
shaking
slightly
delirious:
(here)
extremely
excited
convulsion:
shiver
This is Jodys Fawn
a china deer:
a clay deer
that is easily
broken
sleek:
smooth and
shiny
hoist:
pull up higher
light-headed:
unable to
think clearly
Honeydew
He stroked its
sides as gently as
though the fawn
were a china deer
and he might
break it. Its skin
was very soft. It
was sleek and
clean and had a
sweet scent of
grass. He rose
slowly and lifted
the fawn from
the ground. Its legs hung limply. They were surprisingly
long and he had to hoist the fawn as high as possible
under his arm.
He was afraid that it might kick and bleat at sight
and smell of its mother. He skirted the clearing and
pushed his way into the thicket. It was difficult to fight
through with his burden. The fawns legs caught in the
bushes and he could not lift his own with freedom. He
tried to shield its face from prickling vines. Its head
bobbed with his stride. His heart thumped with the
marvel of its acceptance of him. He reached the trail
and walked as fast as he could until he came to the
intersection with the road home. He stopped to rest and
set the fawn down on its dangling legs. It wavered on
them. It looked at him and bleated.
He said, enchanted, Ill carry you after I get my breath.
He remembered his father saying that a fawn would
follow if it had first been carried. He started away slowly.
The fawn stared after him. He came back to it and
stroked it and walked away again. It took a few wobbling
steps toward him and cried piteously. It was willing to
follow him. It belonged to him. It was his own. He was
light-headed with his joy. He wanted to fondle it, to run
and romp with it, to call to it to come to him. He dared

not alarm it. He picked it up and carried it in front of
him over his two arms. It seemed to him that he walked
without effort.
His arms began to ache and he was forced to stop
again. When he walked on, the fawn followed him at
once. He allowed it to walk a little distance, then picked
it up again. The distance home was nothing. He could
have walked all day and into the night, carrying it and
watching it follow. He was wet with sweat but a light
breeze blew through the June morning, cooling him.
The sky was as clear as spring water in a blue china
cup. He came to the clearing. It was fresh and green
after the nights rain. He fumbled with the latch and
was finally obliged to set down the fawn to manage it.
Then, he had an idea he would walk into the house,
into Pennys bedroom, with the fawn walking behind
him. But at the steps, the fawn balked and refused to
climb them. He picked it up and went to his father.
Penny lay with closed eyes.
Jody called, Pa! Look!
Penny turned his head. Jody stood beside him, the
fawn clutched hard against him. It seemed to Penny
that the boys eyes were as bright as the fawns. He
said, Im glad you found him.
Jody then went to the kitchen. The fawn wobbled
after him. A pan of mornings milk stood in the kitchen
safe. The cream had risen on it. He skimmed the cream
into a jug. He poured milk into a small gourd. He held
it out to the fawn. It butted it suddenly, smelling the
milk. He saved it precariously from spilling over the
floor. It could make nothing of the milk in the gourd.
He dipped his fingers in the milk and thrust them
into the fawns soft wet mouth. It sucked greedily. When
he withdrew them, it bleated frantically and butted him.
He dipped his fingers again and as the fawn sucked, he
lowered them slowly into the milk. The fawn blew and
romp:
play
alarm:
frighten
balked:
(also baulked)
was unwilling
(to do
something)
This is Jodys Fawn
sucked and snorted. It stamped

its small hoofs impatiently. As
long as he held his fingers below
the level of the milk, the fawn was
content. It closed its eyes
dreamily. It was ecstasy to feel its
tongue against his hand. Its small
tail flicked back and forth. The
last of the milk vanished in a
swirl of foam and gurgling.
MARJORIE KINNAN RAWLINGS

Comprehension Check
1. How did Jody bring the fawn back home?
2. Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you
find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?
3. How did the deer drink milk from the gourd?
4. Why didnt the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had
thought it would?
1. Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?
2. What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, Nothing in the world ever comes
quite free?
3. How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for
doing this?
4. How does Jodys mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the
fawn home? Why does she react in this way?
1. Look at these pairs of sentences.

Penny said to Jody, Will you be back before dinner?
Penny asked Jody if he would be back before dinner.
How are you feeling, Pa? asked Jody.
Jody asked his father how he was feeling.
Honeydew
Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Penny said, Do you really want it son?

Mill-wheel said, Will he ride back with me?
He said to Mill-wheel, Do you think the fawn is still there?
He asked Mill-wheel, Will you help me find him?
(v) He said, Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?

2. Look at these two sentences.
He tumbled backward.
It turned its head.
The first sentence has an intransitive verb, a verb without an object.
The second sentence has a transitive verb. It has a direct object. We can
ask: What did it turn? You can answer: Its head. It turned its head.
Say whether the verb in each sentence below transitive or intransitive. Ask
yourself a what question about the verb, as in the example above. (For
some verbs, the object is a person, so ask the question who instead of what).
(i) Jody then went to the kitchen.
(ii) The fawn wobbled after him.
(iii) You found him.
(iv) He picked it up.
(v) He dipped his fingers in the milk.
(vi) It bleated frantically and butted him.
(vii) The fawn sucked his fingers.
(viii) He lowered his fingers slowly into the milk.
(ix) It stamped its small hoofs impatiently.
(x) He held his fingers below the level of the milk.
(xi) The fawn followed him.
(xii) He walked all day.
(xiii) He stroked its sides.
(xiv)
The fawn lifted its nose.
(xv)
Its legs hung limply.
This is Jodys Fawn
3. Here are some words from the lesson. Working in groups, arrange them in
the order in which they would appear in the dictionary. Write down some
idioms and phrasal verbs connected to these words. Use the dictionary for
more idioms and phrasal verbs.
close
parted
draw
clearing
make
sweet
wonder
light
scrawny
pick
1. Do you think it is right to kill an animal to save a human life? Give reasons
for your answer.
2. Imagine you wake up one morning and find a tiny animal on your doorstep.
You want to keep it as a pet but your parents are not too happy about it.
How would you persuade them to let you keep it? Discuss it in groups
and present your arguments to the class.
1. Imagine you have a new pet that keeps you busy. Write a paragraph
describing your pet, the things it does, and the way it makes you feel. Here
are some words and phrases that you could use.
frisky, smart, disobedient, loyal, happy, enthusiastic,
companion, sharing, friend, rolls in mud, dirties the bed, naughty,
lively, playful, eats up food, hides the newspaper, drinks up milk,
runs away when called, floats on the water as if dead
2. Human life is dependent on nature (thats why we call her Mother Nature).
We take everything from nature to live our lives. Do we give back anything
to nature?
(i) Write down some examples of the natural resources that we use.
(ii) Write a paragraph expressing your point of view regarding our
relationship with nature.
3. In This is Jodys Fawn, Jodys father uses a home remedy for a snake
bite. What should a person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake? Are all
snakes poisonous? With the help of your teacher and others, find out
answers to such questions. Then write a short paragraph on What to do
if a snake chooses to bite you.
Honeydew
Two friends, the Duck and the Kangaroo, are about to set out on
a long pleasure trip. The Kangaroo, though happy to carry the
Duck all the way on the tip of his tail, is wary of her wet feet.
What will the Duck do to make the Kangaroo feel comfortable
over land and sea? Let us find out how they go about it.
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,

Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
Please give me a ride on your back!
I would sit quite still, and say nothing but Quack,
The whole of the long day through!

And wed go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea;
Please take me on a ride! O do!
Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
This requires a little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if youll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the rooMatiz! said the Kangaroo.
Said the Duck, As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold Ive bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar Ill smoke,
All to follow my own dear true
Love of a Kangaroo!
Said the Kangaroo, Im ready!
All in the moonlight pale,
But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!
And quite at the end of my tail!
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy, O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?
EDWARD LEAR
worsted socks: woollen socks
Honeydew
1. Taking words that come at the end of lines, write five pairs of
rhyming words. Read each pair aloud
For example, pond beyond
2. Complete the dialogue.
Duck
: Dear Kangaroo! Why dont you
____________________________
Kangaroo : With pleasure, my dear Duck,
though _____________________
Duck
: That wont be a problem. I will
____________________________
3. The Kangaroo does not want to catch rheumatism. Spot this word
in stanza 3 and say why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two
parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?
4. Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines that make
you laugh.
The trees are still asleep today

And do not seem to know
A storm came by last night and heaped
Their branches full of snow.
See how they start up with surprise
As one by one they wake.
Why, gracious me! they seem to say,
And give themselves a shake.
Ralph Marcellino
Before you read

This is the story of a meeting between two
extraordinary people, both of them disabled, or
differently abled as we now say. Stephen Hawking
is one of the greatest scientists of our time. He suffers
from a form of paralysis that confines him to a
wheelchair, and allows him to speak only by punching
buttons on a computer, which speaks for him in a
machine-like voice. Firdaus Kanga is a writer and
journalist who lives and works in Mumbai. Kanga was
born with brittle bones that tended to break easily
when he was a child. Like Hawking, Kanga moves
around in a wheelchair.
The two great men exchange thoughts on what it
means to live life in a wheelchair, and on how the so
called normal people react to the disabled.
astrophysicist:
scholar of
astrophysics
branch of
physics
dealing with
stars, planets,
etc.
Cambridge was my metaphor for England, and it was

strange that when I left it had become altogether something
else, because I had met Stephen Hawking there.
It was on a walking tour through Cambridge that
the guide mentioned Stephen Hawking, poor man, who
is quite disabled now, though he is a worthy successor
to Issac Newton, whose Chair he has at the university.
And I started, because I had quite forgotten that this
most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist,
the author of A Brief History of Time, one of

the biggest best-sellers ever, lived here.
When the walking tour was done, I rushed
to a phone booth and, almost tearing the cord
so it could reach me outside, phoned Stephen
Hawkings house. There was his assistant on
the line and I told him I had come in a
wheelchair from India (perhaps he thought I
had propelled myself all the way) to write
about my travels in Britain. I had to see
Professor Hawking even ten minutes would
do. Half an hour, he said. From three-thirty
to four.
And suddenly I felt weak all over. Growing
up disabled, you get fed up with people asking you to
be brave, as if you have a courage account on which
you are too lazy to draw a cheque. The only thing
that makes you stronger is seeing somebody like you,
achieving something huge. Then you know how much
is possible and you reach out further than you ever
thought you could.
I havent been brave, said his disembodied
computer-voice, the next afternoon. Ive had no choice.
Surely, I wanted to say, living creatively with the
reality of his disintegrating body was a choice? But I
kept quiet, because I felt guilty every time I spoke to
him, forcing him to respond. There he was, tapping at
the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on
his computer with the only bit of movement left to him,
his long, pale fingers. Every so often, his eyes would
shut in frustrated exhaustion. And sitting opposite him
I could feel his anguish, the mind buoyant with thoughts
that came out in frozen phrases and sentences stiff as
corpses.
A lot of people seem to think that disabled people
are chronically unhappy, I said. I know thats not true
myself. Are you often laughing inside?
buoyant:
intensely
active and
vibrant
torso:
upper part of
the body
incandescence:
inner glow or
light
accessory:
not essential
but extra,
though
decorative
inflection:
rise and fall of
the voice in
speaking
Honeydew
About three minutes later, he responded, I find it

amusing when people patronise me.
And do you find it annoying when someone like me
comes and disturbs you in your work?
The answer flashed. Yes. Then he smiled his oneway smile and I knew, without being sentimental or
silly, that I was looking at one of the most beautiful
men in the world.
A first glimpse of him is shocking, because he is like a
still photograph as if all those pictures of him in
magazines and newspapers have turned three-dimensional.
Then you see the head twisted sideways into a slump,
the torso shrunk inside the pale blue shirt, the wasted
legs; you look at his eyes which can speak, still, and
they are saying something huge and urgent it is hard
to tell what. But you are shaken because you have seen
something you never thought could be seen.
Before you, like a lantern whose walls are worn so
thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the
incandescence of a man. The body, almost irrelevant,
exists only like a case made of shadows. So that I, no
believer in eternal souls, know that this is what each of
us is; everything else an accessory.
What do you think is the best thing about being
disabled? I had asked him earlier.
I dont think there is anything good about being disabled.
I think, I said, you do discover how much kindness
there is in the world.
Yes, he said; it was a disadvantage of his voice
synthesiser that it could convey no inflection, no shades
or tone. And I could not tell how enthusiastically he
agreed with me.
Every time I shifted in my chair or turned my wrist
to watch the time I wanted to make every one of our
thirty minutes count I felt a huge relief and
exhilaration in the possibilities of my body. How little it
mattered then that I would never walk, or even stand.
I told him how he had been an inspiration beyond

cliche for me, and, surely, for others did that thought
help him?
No, he said; and I thought how foolish I was to ask.
When your body is a claustrophobic room and the walls
are growing narrower day by day, it doesnt do much
good to know that there are people outside smiling with
admiration to see you breathing still.
Is there any advice you can give disabled people,
something that might help make life better?
They should concentrate on what they are good at; I
think things like the disabled Olympics are a waste of time.
I know what you mean. I remembered the years Id
spent trying to play a Spanish guitar considerably larger
than I was; and how gleefully I had unstringed it one night.
The half-hour was up. I think Ive annoyed you
enough, I said, grinning. Thank you for...
Stay. I waited. Have some tea. I can show you the garden.
The garden was as big as a park, but Stephen
Hawking covered every inch, rumbling along in his
motorised wheelchair while I dodged to keep
out of the way. We couldnt talk very much;
the sun made him silent, the letters on his
screen disappearing in the glare.
An hour later, we were ready to leave. I didnt
know what to do. I could not kiss him or cry. I
touched his shoulder and wheeled out into the
summer evening. I looked back; and I knew he
was waving, though he wasnt. Watching him,
an embodiment of my bravest self, the one I
was moving towards, the one I had believed in
for so many years, alone, I knew that my
journey was over. For now.
cliche:
phrase or idea
used so often
that it loses
its meaning
claustrophobic:
very small and
suffocating
(Claustrophobia
is abnormal
fear of being
in an enclosed
space)
gleefully:
very happily
FIRDAUS KANGA
from Heaven on Wheels
Comprehension Check
Which is the right sentence?
1. Cambridge was my metaphor for England. To the writer,
(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.
2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawkings house
(i) from the nearest phone booth.
(ii) from outside a phone booth.
(iii) from inside a phone booth.
3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty
because
(i) he wasnt sure what he wanted to ask.
(ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) he was face to face with a legend.
4. I felt a huge relief... in the possibilities of my body. In the
given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) standing up, walking.
(iii) speaking, writing.
Answer the following questions.

1. (i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous?
If so, why?
(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?
2. Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
3. Stephen Hawking said, Ive had no choice. Does the writer think there
was a choice? What was it?
4. I could feel his anguish. What could be the anguish?
5. What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at
one of the most beautiful men in the world?
6. Read aloud the description of the beautiful man. Which is the most beautiful
sentence in the description?
Honeydew
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
(i) If the lantern is the man, what would its walls be?
(ii) What is housed within the thin walls?
(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?
What is the scientists message for the disabled?
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it
support?
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the
gratitude for?
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both
the boxes below.
(i) There was his assistant on the line ...
(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, ...
(iii) There he was, ...
(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak, ...
(v) It doesnt do much good to know ...
A
tapping at a little switch in his hand
and I told him
that there are people
as if you have a courage account
and they are saying something huge and urgent
B
trying to find the words on his computer.
I had come in a wheelchair from India.
on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.
smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.
it is hard to tell what.
1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the
words given in the following box.
guide
succeed
chair
travel
pale
draw
true
(i) I met a ____________ from an antique land.

(ii) I need special ____________ in mathematics. I cant count the number
of times I have failed in the subject.
(iii) The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy ____________ to Issac
Newton.
(iv) His other problems ____________ into insignificance beside this
unforeseen mishap.
(v) The meeting was ____________ by the youngest member of the board.
(vi) Some people say yours ____________ when they informally refer to
themselves.
(vii) I wish it had been a ____________ match. We would have been spared
the noise of celebrations, at least.
2. Look at the following words.
walk
stick
Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words?

(It is simple. Add -ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an
article at the beginning.)
..a walking stick
Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box.
read/session
walk/tour
smile/face
dance/doll
revolve/chair
win/chance
3. Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one
or the other.
(i) He has two brothers. _______ are lawyers.
(ii) More than ten persons called. _______ of them wanted to see you.
(iii) They _______ cheered the team.
(iv) _______ her parents are teachers.
(v) How much have you got? Give me _______ of it.
Honeydew
4. Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in brackets.
(i) My friend has one of the _______ cars on the road. (fast)
(ii) This is the _______ story I have ever read. (interesting)
(iii) What you are doing now is _______ than what you did yesterday. (easy)
(iv) Ramesh and his wife are both _______. (short)
(v) He arrived _______ as usual. Even the chief guest came _______ than
he did. (late, early)
1. Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in
colour loudly and clearly.
camel
balloon
opinion
decent
fearless
enormous
careful
fulfil
together
father
govern
degree
before
bottle
In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one
that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.
man (one syllable)
manner (two syllables)
The mark () indicates that the first syllable in manner is more prominent
than the other.
2. Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary
or ask the teacher if necessary.
artist
compare
illegal
mistake
satisfy
agree
accident
relation
backward
moment
table
mountain
3. Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.

Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board.
What kinds of notices have you lately seen on the board?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?
Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you
want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found
something, you want to return it to its owner.
Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention
the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class,
section and date.
Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class.
Compare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if
necessary, with the help of the teacher.
or
Imagine that you are a journalist.
You have been asked to interview the president of the village
panchayat.
Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.
The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding
water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.
o k dR
A Crooked
Rhyme
There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked coin against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.
Honeydew
As a young apprentice architect, British poet and novelist

Thomas Hardy once visited a parish to supervise the restoration
of a church. On his return from the parish, people noticed two
things about him a new glow in his eyes and a crumpled
piece of paper sticking out of his coat pocket. That paper, it is
recorded in one of his biographies, contained the draft of a poem.
You are going to read that very poem inspired by a visit to a
place which the poet calls Lyonnesse.

A hundred miles away,
The rime was on the spray;
And starlight lit my lonesomeness
A hundred miles away.
What would bechance at Lyonnesse
While I should sojourn there,
No prophet durst declare;
Nor did the wisest wizard guess
What would bechance at Lyonnesse
While I should sojourn there.
When I returned from Lyonnesse
With magic in my eyes,
All marked with mute surmise
My radiance rare and fathomless,
When I returned from Lyonnesse
With magic in my eyes.
THOMAS HARDY
Lyonnesse: (in Arthurian legend) the mythical birthplace of Sir Tristram, in

England, believed to have been submerged by the sea; here an
imaginary place.
rime: frost
the spray: leaves and branches of trees; foliage
durst: (poetic word for) dared
bechance: happen/chance to happen
sojourn: stay
radiance: glow
fathomless: so deep that the depth cant be measured
1. In the first stanza, find words that show

(i) that it was very cold.
(ii) that it was late evening.
(iii) that the traveller was alone.
2. (i) Something happened at Lyonnesse. It was
(a) improbable.
(b) impossible.
(c) unforeseeable.
(ii) Pick out two lines from stanza 2 to justify your answer.
3. (i) Read the line (stanza 3) that implies the following.
Everyone noticed something, and they made
guesses, but didnt speak a word.
(ii) Now read the line that refers to what they noticed,
Question: Why is it unsafe to walk about in spring?

Answer:
Because the grass has blades, the flowers
have pistils and the trees are shooting.
Honeydew
Before you read

Do you know what a diary is? It is a record of personal
experiences written day after day over a long period
of time. You can also use a diary to note down things
you plan to do immediately or in future.
One of the most famous diaries published as a book is
The Diary of Anne Frank.
Here are a few extracts from Ruskin Bonds diary in
which he portrays the silent miracles of nature and
lifes little joys and regrets. Read on.
I
June 24
The first day of monsoon mist. And its strange how all
the birds fall silent as the mist comes climbing up the
hill. Perhaps thats what makes the mist so melancholy;
not only does it conceal the hills, it blankets them in
silence too. Only an hour ago the trees were ringing
with birdsong. And now the forest is deathly still as
though it were midnight.
Through the mist Bijju is calling to his sister. I can
hear him running about on the hillside but I cannot
see him.
melancholy:
very sad (the
mist is called
melancholy
because it
makes people
feel
melancholy)
blankets:
covers
June 25
fern:
a flowerless
plant with
feathery green
leaves
heralded:
announced or
brought the
news of
imprecations:
curses
bloodletting:
losing blood
(Decades ago,
leeches were
used to
remove blood
from a
patients body)
scarlet
minivet:
bright red bird
like a cuckoo
drongo:
a song-bird
with a stout
bill
Honeydew
Some genuine earlymonsoon rain, warm

and humid, and not
that cold high-altitude
stuff weve been having
all year. The plants
seem to know it too,
and the first cobra lily
rears its head from the
ferns as I walk up to the
bank and post office.
The mist affords a
certain privacy.
A school boy asked
me to describe the hill
station and valley in
one sentence, and all I could say was: A paradise that
might have been.
June 27
The rains have heralded the arrival of some seasonal

visitorsa leopard, and several thousand leeches.
Yesterday afternoon the leopard lifted a dog from near
the servants quarter below the school. In the evening it
attacked one of Bijjus cows but fled at the approach of
Bijjus mother, who came screaming imprecations.
As for the leeches, I shall soon get used to a little
bloodletting every day.
Other new arrivals are the scarlet minivets (the
females are yellow), flitting silently among the leaves
like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these
brightly coloured birds cannot conceal themselves,
although, by remaining absolutely silent, they
sometimes contrive to go unnoticed. Along come a pair
of drongos, unnecessarily aggressive, chasing the
minivets away.
A tree creeper moves rapidly up the trunk of the

oak tree, snapping up insects all the way. Now that
the rains are here, there is no dearth of food for the
insectivorous birds.
Comprehension Check
1. Why is the author not able to see Bijju?
2. What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change
when the mist comes up?
II
August 2
All night the rain has been drumming on the

corrugated tin roof. There has been no storm, no
thunder, just the steady swish of a tropical downpour.
It helps me to lie awake; at the same time, it doesnt
keep me from sleeping.
It is a good sound to read by the rain outside, the
quiet within and, although tin roofs are given to
springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being
untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.
drumming:
falling noisily
August 3
The rain stops. The clouds begin to break up, the sun
strikes the hill on my left. A woman is chopping up
sticks. I hear the tinkle of cowbells. In the oak tree, a
crow shakes the raindrops from his feathers and caws
disconsolately. Water drips from a leaking drainpipe.
And suddenly, clean and pure, the song of the whistling
thrush emerges like a dark sweet secret from the depths
of the ravine.
disconsolately:
unhappily
ravine:
valley
August 12
Endless rain, and a permanent mist. We havent seen

the sun for eight or nine days. Everything damp and
soggy. Nowhere to go. Pace the room, look out of the
window at a few bobbing umbrellas. At least it isnt cold
rain. The hillsides are lush

as late-monsoon flowers
begin to appear wild
balsam, dahlias, begonias
and ground orchids.
August 31
crevices:
narrow
openings or
cracks in rock
or wall
shrew:
(find its Hindi
equivalent in
the next
sentence)
It is the last day of August,

and the lush monsoon
growth has reached its
peak. The seeds of the
cobra lily are turning red,
signifying that the rains are coming to an end.
In a few days the ferns will start turning yellow, but
right now they are still firm, green and upright. Ground
orchids, mauve ladys slipper and the white butterfly
orchids put on a fashion display on the grassy slopes of
Landour. Wild dahlias, red, yellow and magenta, rear
their heads from the rocky crevices where they have
taken hold.
Snakes and rodents, flooded out of their holes and
burrows, take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. A
shrew, weak of eyesight, blunders about the rooms,
much to the amusement of the children.
Dont kill it, admonishes their grandmother.
Chuchundars are lucky they bring money!
And sure enough, I receive a cheque in the mail. Not
a very large one, but welcome all the same.
October 3
We have gone straight from monsoon into winter rain.

Snow at higher altitudes.
After an evening hailstorm, the sky and hills are
suffused with a beautiful golden light.
Honeydew
January 26
Winter Rains in the Hills

In the hushed silence of the house
when I am quite alone, and my
friend, who was here
has gone, it is very lonely, very quiet,
as I sit in a liquid silence, a silence
within,
surrounded by the rhythm of rain,
the steady drift
of water on leaves, on lemons, on roof,
drumming on drenched dahlias and
window panes,
while the mist holds the house in a
dark caress.
As I pause near a window, the rain stops.
And starts again.
And the trees, no longer green but grey,
menace me with their loneliness.
March 23
Late March. End of winter.

The blackest cloud Ive ever seen squatted over
Mussoorie, and then it hailed marbles for half an hour.
Nothing like a hailstorm to clear the sky. Even as I write,
I see a rainbow forming.
caress:
touching or
holding
lovingly
menace:
threaten
RUSKIN BOND
Comprehension Check
1. When does the monsoon season begin and when does it
end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?
2. Which hill-station does the author describe in this diary
entry?
3. For how many days does it rain without stopping? What
does the author do on these days?
4. Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?
5. What did the author receive in the mail?
1. Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March
23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from
June to March.
2. Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
3. What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about
to end?
4. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because __________________.
(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as __________________.
(iii) The leopard was successful in __________________ but had to flee when
______________________________________________________.
(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because __________________.
(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when __________________.
(vi) During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs
and attics because __________________________.
5. Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a
feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.
(i) Why has the writer used the word, springing?
(ii) How is the writer untouched by the rain?
(iii) How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?
6. Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days
together.
7. What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its
beginning and end?
1. Here are some words that are associated with the monsoon. Add as many
words as you can to this list. Can you find words for these in your
languages?
downpour
floods
mist
cloudy powercuts
2. Look at the sentences below.

(i) Bijju wandered into the garden in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with birdsong.
Honeydew
cold umbrella
Notice the highlighted verbs.

The verb wandered tells us what Bijju did that evening. But the verb
was ringing tells us what was happening continually at same time in
the past (the birds were chirping in the trees).
Now look at the sentences below. They tell us about something that
happened in the past. They also tell us about other things that
happened continually, at the same time in the past.
Put the verbs in the brackets into their proper forms. The first one is done
for you.
(i) We (get out) of the school bus. The bell (ring) and everyone (rush) to
class.
We got out of the school bus. The bell was ringing and everyone was
rushing to class.
(ii) The traffic (stop). Some people (sit) on the road and they (shout)
slogans.
(iii) I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.
(iv) She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.
(v) We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others
(play) games.
(vi) The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).
3. Here are some words from the lesson which describe different kinds of
sounds.
drum
swish
tinkle
caw
drip
(i) Match these words with their correct meanings.

(a) to fall in small drops
(b) to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly
(c) to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound
(d) harsh sound made by birds
(e) ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.)
(ii) Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words
given above.
(a) Ramesh ____________ on his desk in impatience.
(b) Rain water ____________ from the umbrella all over
the carpet.
(c) The pony ____________ its tail.
(d) The _________________ of breaking glass woke me up.

(e) The ____________ of the raven disturbed the childs sleep.
4. And sure enough, I received a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones
given below.
sure enough
kind enough
brave enough
colourful enough
big enough
foolish enough
serious enough
fair enough
anxious enough
(i) I saw thick black clouds in the sky. And ___________ ___________ it
soon started raining heavily.
(ii) The blue umbrella was ___________ ___________ for the brother and
sister.
(iii) The butterflies are ___________ ___________ to get noticed.
(iv) The lady was ___________ ___________ to chase the leopard.
(v) The boy was ___________ ___________ to call out to his sister.
(vi) The man was ___________ ___________ to offer help.
(vii) The victims injury was ___________ ___________ for him to get
admitted in hospital.
(viii) That person was ___________ ___________ to repeat the same mistake
again.
(ix) He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss.
I said, ___________ ___________.
1. Do you believe in superstitions? Why, or why not? Working with your

partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.
2. How many different kinds of birds do you come across in the lesson? How
many varieties do you see in your neighbourhood? Are there any birds
that you used to see earlier in your neighbourhood but not now? In groups
discuss why you think this is happening.
Honeydew
1. The monsoons are a time of great fun and even a few adventures: playing in
the rain and getting wet, wading through knee-deep water on your way to
school, water flooding the house or the classroom, powercuts and so on.
Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which
you can never forget.
or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are
in full bloom.
The oak stands straight and tall,

but not in boots,
nor any shoes at all:
just in roots.
Norma Farber
Unlike The Ant and the Cricket (page 21), which tells a story, this
is a nature poem. In it, the grasshopper and cricket do not appear
as characters in a story. Rather, they act as symbols, each
suggesting something else. Read the poem and notice how the
poetry of earth keeps on through summer and winter in a neverending song. Who sings the song?
The poetry of earth is never dead:

When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead,
That is the grasshoppers he takes the lead
In summer luxury he has never done
With his delights, for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stone there shrills
The crickets song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost;
The grasshoppers among some grassy hills.
JOHN KEATS
wrought: brought about

shrills: comes through loud and clear
1. Discuss with your partner the following definition of a poem.

A poem is made of words arranged in a beautiful order. These words,
when read aloud with feeling, have a music and meaning of their own.
2. The poetry of earth is not made of words. What is it made of, as suggested
in the poem?
3. Find in the poem lines that match the following.
(i) The grasshoppers happiness never comes to an end.
(ii) The crickets song has a warmth that never decreases.
4. Which word in stanza 2 is opposite in meaning to the frost?
5. The poetry of earth continues round the year through a cycle of two seasons.
Mention each with its representative voice.

r tt
The bandage was wound around the wound.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
They were too close to the door to close it.
There is no time like the present to present the present.
Before you read

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Foreword...

The Best Christmas Present

Glimpses of the Past

TEACHER (UNITS 4-7)

Bepin Choudhurys Lapse of Memory

The Summit Within

This is Jodys Fawn

TEACHER (UNITS 8-10)

A Short Monsoon Diary

The Great Stone FaceI

The Great Stone FaceII

Encourage learners to tell new stories, narrate anecdotes,

The Best Christmas Present in the World

Comprehension Check at the end of each section is a recall of

Here is one example in three formats:

Notes for the Teacher

The Ant and the Cricket

sing ____________ ___________

crumb ____________ ___________

Complete the passage using passive forms of the verbs given

Before you read in The Best Christmas Present in the World).

Glimpses of the Past

If necessary, texts may first be produced in the childs own

Macavity The Mystery Cat

Bepin Choudhurys Lapse of Memory

The Last Bargain

(b) Now reconstruct the episode. Begin like this.

The Summit Within

Famous climbers have recorded how they needed just that

The School Boy

This is Jodys Fawn

He asked me ___________ (whether/if) I ____________ (live/

Here is another exercise.

The Duck and the Kangaroo

Notes for the Teacher

Children should be encouraged to attempt short poems such

Sample two is impromptu as you rightly guessed, did

Activities 1 and 2 under speaking and writing are about word

When I Set Out for Lyonnesse

Notes for the Teacher

A Short Monsoon Diary

On the Grasshopper and Cricket

Ask children to rearrange the lines taking note of the words

The Great Stone Face I and II

Before you read

you about at once. We were all standing to in our trenches

The Best Christmas Present in the World

Captain Jim Macpherson, I replied. And a Happy

Connie, Fritz won, two goals to one. But as Hans Wolf

The Best Christmas Present in the World

Dearest Connie, by Christmas time next year, this

I folded the letter again and slipped it carefully back

I found Burlington House Nursing Home easily enough.

The Best Christmas Present in the World

1. Look at these sentences from the story.

tell) the teacher and so he __________ __________ (have, chase) her,

modifier 4 head word

The Best Christmas Present in the World

War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys

sing __ _

crumb __ _

He asked me _ (whether/if) I __ (live/

tell) the teacher and so he (have, chase) her,