Poem 4 From a Railway Carriage

I. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.

1.All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

a.List five sights that the poet has mentioned in the poem.
Ans. The five sights that the poet has mentioned in the poem are
*Hedges and ditches *River *Painted stations
*The meadows with the horses and cattle *Bridges and houses

b.Why does the poet compare the things he sees to driving rain?
Ans. The poet compares the things he sees to driving rain because he can only have
a glimpse.

2. And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

a. Give the meaning of ‘in the wink of an eye’.

Ans. In the wink of an eye means something that happens in a flash.

b. After these lines the poet describes three people whom he sees. Who are they?
Ans. A child, a tramp and a man in a cart.

II. Answer the following

1. Draw up a list of all the words in the poem that describe movements.
Ans. Charging, fly, runaway, lumping, clambers and scrambles.

2. What does ‘each a glimpse and gone forever’ mean?

Ans. The poet manages to catch a glimpse of the scenery before the train passes
by. He expresses the reality of things that quickly fade away without notice.

Poem 5 Paper Boats

 I. Read the lines and answer the questions that follows:

1. In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the
village where I live.
a. What does the word ‘them’ refer to?
Ans. The word ‘them’ refers to the paper boats.

b. Why does the persona write his name and the name of his
village?
Ans. He writes these because he hopes that one day someone in
some strange land will find them and know who he is.

c. What does this tell you about the persona?

Ans. This tells us that the persona is friendly and curious to
know about the world.

II. Answer the following.

1. Does the persona float his boats often or does he rarely do
this?
Ans. The words ‘day by day’ tell us that the persona floats
his paper boats often.

2. At night, what dreams does the persona have about his boat?
Ans. At night, the persona dreams about the paper boats
floating under the midnight stars. In his dream, he also sees
the fairies of sleep sailing in them carrying baskets full of
dreams.

Poem 6 Abou Ben Adhem

I.Read the lines and answer the questions that follow:
1. Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
 Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An Angel writing in a book of gold:
a. When did Abou see the Angel?
Ans) Abou saw the Angel in his room when he awoke
one night from deep sleep.

b.Spot and write out the simile in these lines.

Ans) Like a lily in bloom.

c.What is the Angel writing?

Ans) The Angel is writing the names of the people
who love the Lord.

2. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerily still; and said, ‘I pray thee, then,
Write me as one who loves his fellow men.’

a. Why does Abou speak more low?

Ans. Abou speaks more low and softly so that he can
make a request to the Angel.
b.Which other words in these lines tell us how Abou
speaks?
Ans. ‘But cheerily still’are the other words in these
lines that tell us how Abou speaks.
c.In your own words write what Abou requests the
Angel to do?
Ans. Abou requests the Angel to write him down as
someone who loves his fellow men.
II.Answer these questions:
1.How many times does the Angel visit Abou Ben
Adhem? Describe the light in the room each time the
Angel enters.
Ans)
 The Angel visits him twice. The first time the Angel
came, she was standing within the
moonlight.
 The next time she went to Abou, she went with an
intense bright light.

2.What message do you think the poet wishes to give

us through this poem?

Ans) Through the poem, the poet tells us to love our

fellow men.
 Ln 6 Everybody’s Water

I New Vocabulary

1. breaking news
2. exclusive
3. centuries
4. grey-sludge
5. resigned
6. symbolize
7. scattered
8. chaos
9. versus
10. objection
11. indispensable
12. evident
13. grateful
14. brink
15. defended
II Synonyms

1. fragile - weak
2. chaos - complete confusion
3. indispensable - very important
4. evident - clear
5. versus - against

III Reference to the context

1. Groundwater: I have something to say. You don’t forget to recharge

your phones, do you?You don’t forget to eat and recharge your
energy,do you?

a. To whom is Groundwater speaking?

Ans He is speaking to Everybody.

b. What are the two things Groundwater lists in these lines?

Ans The two things that Groundwater lists in these lines are recharging of
phones and eating food to recharge the body.

c. What else does Groundwater want us to remember?

Ans Groundwater wants us to throw spare or waste water on the ground or
soil.

2. Breaking news, live and exclusive on Earth TV. All the water has
disappeared from our planet.

a. Who says these lines?

Ans A TV journalist says these lines.

b. In your own words explain what ‘Breaking news’ means.

Ans Breaking news means important urgent news that the network wants to
play as a special report.

c. List the four water sources that had run dry at the start of the play.
Ans Tap, well, groundwater and a pot of drinking water.

IV Read,reflect and write.

1. Why did Water decide to take Everybody to court?

Ans Water decided to take Everybody to court as Everybody was carelessly
wasting and polluting water.
2. List any three complaints of the sources of water.
Ans A) Water tap complained that people don’t turn off the tap and a lot
of water goes into the drain.
B) Lake complained that his colour has changed to grey-sludge due
to the harmful chemicals poured into him.
C) Groundwater complained that people keep digging bore wells
and pull out whatever is left of Groundwater.

3. What does the word ‘recharge’ mean? What does the play teach us
about ways to recharge the water in the ground?
Ans The word ‘recharge’ means to restore and regenerate. The play teaches
us to throw spare or waste water on the ground and to plant more trees.

4. What does Water wish for at the end of the play?

Ans Water wishes to flow clean, free and happy. Water wishes to see a
green, clean and pure planet.
 Ln 7 The Big Friendly Giant
I. New Vocabulary
1. cavern
2. scurry
3. prowling
4. blowpipe
5. suitcase
6. paraffin
7. wick
8. wheelbarrows
9. imprisons
10. buzzing
II.Synonyms
1. cavern – cave
2. prowling – moving quietly
3. stride – walk with long steps
4. imprisons – locks
5. shrill – loud and forceful
III.Reference to the Context
1. ‘Ah yes, my darling, there is a whole world of
sounds.’
a.List the sounds that the BFG could hear.
Ans . The BFG could hear the tread of a
ladybird’s footsteps, whispering of ants and the shrill cry
of a tree.
b.How did the BFG store the dreams that he
caught?
Ans. He puts them in glass bottles and screwed the
top down tightly.

c.What did the BFG do with the bad dreams?

Ans . He exploded them.
IV Read, reflect and write.
1. Describe the way in which Danny’s father told
stories.
Ans. When Danny’s father told stories he would
stride up and down, waving his arms and waggling
his fingers.

2. Why does the BFG carry a suitcase and a

blowpipe?
Ans. The BFG carries a suitcase for his magic
powders and he uses his blow pipe to blow the
magic powder.

3. According to Danny’s father what happens when

the magic powder really takes over.
Ans. According to Danny’s father, when the magic
powder takes over, the dream becomes a reality.
 Ln 8 Rip Van Winkle
I.New Vocabulary
1. grumbled 7. stammered
2.chores 8.uncomfortable
3. shabbiest 9.astonishment
4. rambling 10. keg
5. gurgling 11. mended
6.sparkling 12.approach
II Synonyms
1.grumbled – complained
2. mended – repaired
3.rambling – walking for pleasure
4. chores – regular tasks
5. stammered – spoke with difficulty
III Reference to the context
1. While rambling one fine autumn evening, Rip reached one of the
highest parts of the mountains.
a. Where was Rip rambling?
Ans . Rip was going around the countryside and reached
one of the highest parts of the mountain.

b. When did Rip usually go for a walk?

Ans. He would usually go for a walk when his wife started to
scold him.

c. What did Rip do when he reached one of the highest parts of the
mountains?
Ans. He lay down on a patch of soft moss.
2.Rip Van Winkle could do anybody’s work.
a. What work should Rip have been doing?
Ans) Rip should have been doing his own work and tending to his
own farm.

b.Do you think Rip was a helpful man?

 Ans) Rip was very helpful to everyone except for his family.

III. Answer the following.

1. What sound did Rip hear as he walked with the little man? Where did
this sound come from?
Ans. Rip heard loud sounds, like the crash of distant thunder. The sound
came from a group of tiny old men playing ninepins.
2.What do you think Dame Winkle said when she saw Rip?
Ans. I think Dame Winkle would have taken aback when she saw him.
She would have asked him where he had been all the while.
 Ln- 10 Black Beauty
I.New Vocabulary
1. ploughed
2. plantation
3. gallop
4. whinnied
5. goodwill
6. lodging
7. gig
8. canter
9. rushes
10. comfortable
II. Synonyms
1. lodging – place to stay.
2. plantation – cultivated area.
3. goodwill – friendly
4. gig - small light carriage pulled by a
horse.
5. snap - sudden
6. gallop – run
7. devoted - loyal
8. trot – brisk walk
`
III.Read the extract and answer the questions that
follow.
1.The first place I can remember was a
large,pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in
it.Some shady trees leaned over it, rushes and water
lilies grew at the deep end.
a.Did Black Beauty like the meadow? How do we
know?
Ans)Yes,Black Beauty liked the meadow because he
called the meadow pleasant.
b.What could Black Beauty see from the meadow?
Ans)Black Beauty could see the ploughed field on
one side and his master’s house on the other side.
c.What did Black Beauty do in the meadow?
Ans)Black Beauty played with other colts.
2.I have never forgotten my mother’s advice. Our
master was very fond of my mother because she was
wise and good.Her name was Duchess, but our
master call her Pet.
a.When did Black Beauty’s mother give him this
advice?
Ans)When she saw that Black Beauty and the older
colts had started a rather rough play, kicking and
biting.
b.What was the advice that Black Beauty received?
Ans . Black Beauty’s mother told him that he should
not be like the other colts. She hoped that he would
grow up gentle and good.
c. What three things do we learn about Black
Beauty’s mother from this extract?
Ans. a) The master was very fond of Black Beauty’s
mother.
b) She was wise and good.
c) Her name was Duchess, but the master named her
Pet.
III. Read, reflect and write.
1. What did Black Beauty’s mother tell him about
the family he came from?
Ans. Black Beauty’s mother told him that his
father had a great name and even his grandfather
won the Newmarket race cup two years in a row.
She told him that his grandmother had the sweetest
temper of any horse she had ever known.
2. How do we know that the master was very fond
of Black Beauty’s mother?
Ans. We know that the master was very fond of
Black Beauty’s mother because not only did he
give them food and good lodging , he also brought
carrots for her.
3. What kind of horse did Black Beauty’s mother
want him to be?
Ans. Black Beauty’s mother wanted him to be
well mannered and gentle.
 Ln 11 Art is for Everyone
I.New Vocabulary
1.creaks and thuds
2.awful
3.sniffed
4.whispered
5.stuff
6.seagulls
7.splendid
8.tacked
II.Synonyms
1. awful – terrible
2. witch – a woman who has magical powers
3. splendid – lovely
4. tacked – put up with pins
5. sniffed – breathed in through the nose noisily
III. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.
1. Tippity Witchet looked at the picture and smiled her biggest smile.
‘What a lovely drawing, Margaret! You are a fine artist.’
a. Where were Margaret and her mother?
Ans. Margaret and her mother were at Tippity Witchet’s house.
b. What had Margaret drawn?
Ans. Margaret had drawn an image of Tippity Witchet’s house and her
garden.
c. How did Margaret feel after she heard Tippity Witchet’s words?
Ans. Margaret felt relieved after hearing Tippity Witchet’s words.
2. Margaret chose markers and her mother picked out a few bits of
coloured chalk, something she used to draw with when she was a child.
In no time, everyone was busy drawing and painting.
a. Who else were there with Margaret and her mother?
Ans. Tippity Witchet and her friend Uncle Dot were with them.
b. Which group of words in the extract means soon?
Ans. ‘In no time’ means soon.
c. What did all of them draw and paint?
Ans. All of them drew a scene which had boats, fishermen, the sea, the
sky and the sun.
IV. Read, reflect and Write.
1. What made Margaret cry?
Ans. Margaret cried because a boy in her school made fun of her
drawing. He also told her that the drawing was awful and that she would
never be an artist.
2. Where did Tippity take Margaret and her mother? How did they reach
there?
A) Tippity took Margaret and her mother to a place near some fishing
boats where they met Uncle Dot. They reached there with the help of
Tippity Witchet’s magic.
3.What did Margaret learn that afternoon after painting with Tippity and
Uncle Dot?
A) After an afternoon with Tippity and Uncle Dot, Margaret learnt that
everyone is different and everyone sees the world differently. She also
realised that she should not care about others’ thoughts.