Gujarat Board GSEB Class 6 English Textbook Solutions Honeysuckle Chapter 10 The Banyan Tree Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 10 The Banyan Tree

GSEB Class 6 English The Banyan Tree Text Book Questions and Answers

(A) Complete the following sentences :

Question 1.
The old banyan tree ‘did not belong’ to grandfather, but only to the boy because ………..
Answer:
his sixty-five year old grandfather could not climb it.

Question 2.
The small grey squirrel became friendly when ………..
Answer:
he found that the boy did not arm. himself with a catapult or an air gun.

Question 3.
When the boy started to bring him pieces of cake and biscuit, the squirrel ………..
Answer:
grew quite bold and was soon taking, food from the author’s hands.

Question 4.
In the spring, the banyan tree ……….. and ……………… would come there.
Answer:
was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds.

Question 5.
The banyan tree served the boy as a ………..
Answer:
library

Question 6.
The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree ………..
Answer:
when it was not too hot.

(B) Answer the following questions :

Question 1.
“It was to be a battle of champions.”

(1) What qualities did the two champions have? Pick out words and phrases from the paragraph above this line in the text and write them down.
Answer:

Mongoose	Cobra
(a) Superb fighter	(a) skillful
(b) Clever	(b) experienced fighter
(c) Aggressive	(c) strike with the speed of light

(2) What did the cobra and the mongoose do, to show their readiness for the fight?
Answer:
To show their readiness for the fight, the cobra raised Itself three feet off the ground. His forked tongue darted in and out. He also spread his broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose bushed his tail. The long hair on his spine stood up.

Question 2.
Who were the other two spectators? What did they do?
(Did they watch, or did they join in the fight?)
Answer:
The myna and the jungle crow were the other two spectators. They not only watched the combatants but also participated in the fight.

Question 3.
Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in proper order. Did they watch or did they join in the fight?
Answer:

(1) ceased to struggle	• grabbed the snake by the snout
(2) tried to mesmerise the mongoose	• dragged the snake into the bushes
(3) coiled itself around the mongoose	• darted away and bit the cobra on the back
(4) struck the crow	• pretended to attack the cobra on one side
(5) struck again and missed	• refused to look into the snake’s eyes
(6) struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack	• sprang aside, jumped in and bit

What the snake did:
(1) Tiled to mesmerise the mongoose.
(2) Struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack.
(3) Struck the crow.
(4) Struck again and missed.
(5) Coiled Itself around the mongoose.
(6) Ceased to struggle.

What the mongoose did:
(1) Refused to look into the snake’s eyes.
(2) Pretended to attack the cobra on one side.
(3) Darted away and bit the cobra on the back.
(4) Sprang aside, jumped in and bit.
(5) Grabbed the snake by the snout.
(6) Dragged the snake into the bushes.

Question 4.
1. What happened to the crow in the end?
Answer:
In the end, the crow got bitten by the cobra.

2. What did the myna do finally?
Answer:
In the end, the myna hopped cautiously on the ground. looked closely into the bushes from a safe distance and then flew away with a shrill cry of congratulation.

Speaking

Look at these sentences:

• The tree was older than grandfather.
• Grandfather was sixty-five years old.

How old was the tree? Can you guess?
Answer:

• The tree was more than sixty-five years old.
• The tree was as old as Dehra Dun itself.

Suppose Dehra Dun is 300 years old. How old is the tree?
Answer:
The tree is also around 300 years old. When two things are the same in some way, we use as…as

Here is another set of examples:

• Mr Sinha is 160 centhnetres tall.
• Mr Gupta is 180 centimetres tall.
• Mrs Gupta is 160 centimetres tafl.

Mrs Gupta is as tall as Mr Sinha.
Use the words In the box to speak about the people and the things below, using as … as or … er than.

(Notice that in the word hot the letter ‘t’ is doubled when -er is added.)

(1) Zeba is as tall as Rani. ..
Ruby is shorter than Zeba and Rani.

(2) Vijay is as strong as Akshay.
Anwar is stronger than Vijay and Akshay.

(3) Shimla is as cold as Gangtok.
Srinagar is colder than Shimla and Gangtok.

(4) Rom’s pencil is as long as Rajas pencil.
Mon’s pencil is longer than Romis and Rajas pencil.

(5) Delhi is as hot as Nagpur.
Delhi and Nagpur are hotter than Chennal.

GSEB Class 6 English The Banyan Tree Additional Important Questions and Answers

Answer the following questions in one sentence each:

Question 1.
Why does the author say that the magnificent old banyan tree belonged to him?
Answer:
The author says that the magnificent old banyan tree belonged to him as his grandfather at sixty-five could no longer climb it.

Question 2.
According to the author, how old was the banyan tree?
Answer:
According to the author, the banyan tree was older than the house, older than grandfather, perhaps even as old as the city of Dehra Dun.

Question 3.
What would happen to the banyan l tree during spring?
Answer:
During spring, when the banyan tree was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds would flock into its branches; the red- bottomed bulbul, cheerful and greedy; parrots, myna and crows squabbling with one another. The banyan tree would thus be the noisiest place in the garden.

Question 4.
How did the cobra show that he was ready to fight?
Answer:
The cobra raised three of his six feet off the ground and spread his broad spectacled hood to show that he was ready to fight.

Question 5.
Why had the crow and the myna settled on the cactus?
Answer:
The crow and the myna had settled on the cactus to watch the outcome of the fight between the mongoose and the cobra.

Question 6.
Where did the mongoose fix his gaze before opening the attack and why?
Answer:
The mongoose fixed his gaze at a point below the cobra’s hood just before opening the attack as the mongoose was aware of the power of the cobra’s glassy, unwinking eyes.

Question 7.
Which creatures lived in the banyan tree ?
Answer:
Squirrels, snails and butterflies lived in the banyan tree.

Question 8.
Why did the squirrel’s relatives think him foolish and headstrong ?
Answer:
The young squirrel became friendly with the writer, a human being, so his relatives thought him foolish and headstrong.

Question 9.
When did birds of all kinds flock into the branches of the banyan tree? Why?
Answer:
In the spring, the red-bottomed bulbul, parrots, myna and crows flocked into the branches of the banyan tree.

Question 10.
What did the writer do when he did not feel like reading among the branches of the banyan tree?
Answer:
When the writer did not feel like reading among the branches of the banyan tree, he looked down through the leaves at the world below.

Question 11.
How was the hood of the cobra?
Answer:
The hood of the cobra was broad and spectacled.

Question 12.
Why were the cobra and the mongoose unaware of the presence of the writer?
Answer:
The cobra and the mongoose were unaware of the presence of the writer because he was hiding in the banyan tree.

Question 13.
When would all have been well with the myna and the crow?
Answer:
All would have been well with the myna and the crow had they been content only to watch and not to intervene them in their fight.

Question 14.
What happened when the myna and the crow hurled themselves at the cobra first time?
Answer:
When the myna and the crow hurled themselves at the cobra first time, they collided heavily in mid-air.

Question 15.
How many efforts did the myna and the crow do to interfere the fight between the cobra and the mongoose?
Answer:
The myna and the crow did three attempts to interfere the fight between the cobra and the mongoose.

Answer the following questions in two or three sentence each:

Question 1.
Describe the banyan tree.
Answer:
The banyan tree was as old as Dehra Dun itself. The huge banyan tree had spreading branches, which hung to the ground and took root again. They formed a number of twisting passages. Among them were squirrels and snails and butterflies.

Question 2.
Who was the first friend of the writer? How did the writer become friendly with him ?
Answer:
A small grey squirrel was the first friend of the writer. When he found that the writer had no Catapult or air gun, he became friendly. The writer brought him pieces of cake and biscuits and he grew quite bold and was soon taking morsels from his hand.

Question 3.
Write three sentences about the writer’s banyan tree library.
Answer:
The writer had built a crude platform s where he could spend the afternoons when it was not too hot. There he could read propping himself up against the tree with a cushion from the living room. Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and The Story of Dr Dolittle were some of the books that had made up the writer’s banyan tree library.

Question 4.
Why does the narrator call the fight of the cobra and the mongoose ‘The Battle of Champions’ ?
Answer:
The narrator calls the fight of the cobra and the mongoose ‘The Battle of Champions’ because both of them were good fighters. The mongoose was clever and aggressive, and the cobra was a skilful and experienced fightrer.

Question 5.
How did the mongoose and the cobra prepare themselves for the upcoming fight?
Answer:
Hissing defiance, the cobra darted his forked tongue in and out. Then it raised three of his six feet off the ground and spread his broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose bushed his tail. The long hair on his spine stood up.

Answer the following questions in four to five sentences each :

Question 1.
How did the cobra kill the crow?
Answer:
The crow and the myna were quite determined to participate in the fight between the cobra and the mongoose. In the third round of the fight, the crow dived at the cobra but missed the mark. Although he managed to fly mid-air, he decided to turn back towards the cobra. However, before the crow was able to do so, the cobra whipped its head back and violently struck the crow with its snout. The crow’s body flung twenty feet across the garden, fluttered for some time and then lay motionless.

Question 2.
How did the author make use of the banyan tree in his grandfather’s house?
Answer:
The author was very fond of the banyan tree at his grandfather’s house. The author had built a crude platform where he would spend the afternoons when it was not too hot. He had formed his own library there, reading books like Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and The Story of Dr Dolittle. When he did not feel like reading, he would look down through the leaves at the world below.

Question 3.
Why has the author said that it was to be a battle of champions?
Answer:
One afternoon, as the author was relaxing on the crude platform built by him on the banyan tree and seeing the world down below through the leaves, he saw a huge black cobra gliding out a clump of cactus. At the same time he saw a mongoose emerge from the bushes and go straight for the cobra.

The mongoose and the cobra came face to face at a clearing beneath the banyan tree. The cobra was a skilful and an experienced fighter. He could move swiftly and strike with the speed of light. His sacs behind his long sharp fangs were full of deadly poison. The mongoose, on the other hand, was three feet long, a super fighter, clever and aggressive. Hence, the author said that it was to be a battle of champions with such strong opponents.

Question 4.
Describe the interference of the myna and the crow in the fight between the cobra and the mongoose.
Answer:
The myna and crow hurled themselves at the snake and collided heavily in mid air. The second time once again they dived at the snake and bumped into each other. Then the third time, they still determined to take part in the proceedings, dived at the cobra but this time they missed each other as well as their mark. The myna flew back but the crow was bitten by the cobra and lost his life.

Question 5.
How did the mongoose win over the cobra in the fight?
Answer:
The cobra was weakening after a long fight and the mongoose was still walking fearlessly up to it. It raised himself on his short legs and with a lightening snap had the big snake by the snout. The cobra writhed and lashed about in a frightening manner and even coiled itself about the mongoose, but to no avail. Finally gripping the snake round the hood, the mongoose dragged it into the bushes.

Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:

Question 1.
The writer says. the magnificent old banyan tree was mine because ……….
A. the land in which it had grown belonged
to his grandparents.
B. the grand father could no longer climb it.
C. he had given it a special name.
D. every morning he watered it.
Answer:
B. the grand father could no longer climb it.

Question 2.
The banyan tree was older than ……….
A. the writers grandfather.
B. their house.
C. Dehra Dun.
D. Both A and B
Answer:
D. Both A and B

Question 3.
The small grey squirrel became friendly with the writer when ………..
A. he saw that the writer had no air gun.
B. he saw that the writer had no catapult.
C. he saw that the writer had biscuits to feed him.
D. Both A and B
Answer:
D. Both A and B

Question 4.
The squirrels friends and relatives probably thought him foolish and headstrong as …
A. he was trusting a human.
B. he was wasting time with a human.
C. he fed himself on cakes and biscuits.
D. he never played with squirrels.
Answer:
A. he was trusting a human.

Question 5.
During the season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place in the garden.
A. winter
B. summer
C. spring
D. monsoon
Answer:
C. spring

Question 6.
What does the writer term as a grand stand view?
A. the banyan tree full of small red figs.
B. watching the world below sitting among the branches of the tree.
C. a fight between a mongoose and a cobra.
D. view of parrots. myna and crows squabbling with one another.
Answer:
C. a fight between a mongoose and a cobra.

Question 7.
The writer saw a cobra coming out of …………
A. the hollow of the banyan tree.
B. the bushes.
C. a clump of cactus.
D. a hole under the banyan tree.
Answer:
C. a clump of cactus.

Question 8.
Deadly poison of a snake Is stored In
A. its mouth.
B. its teeth.
C. the sacs behind its fangs.
D. Its throat.
Answer:
C. the sacs behind its fangs.

Question 9.
The spectators of the fight between the snake and the mongoose were ………..
A. a myna.
B. a jungle crow.
C. the writer himself.
D. All of the three given above
Answer:
D. All of the three given above

Question 10.
When the crow and the myna hurled themselves at the cobra,………..
A. the cobra lost its attention on the mongoose.
B. the cobra hissed at them.
C. they collided heavily in mid-air.
D. the mongoose got a chance to attack the cobra.
Answer:
C. they collided heavily in mid-air.

Question 11.
What happened to the crow who Interfered in the fight between the cobra and the mongoose?
A. the mongoose bit him and he died.
B. the cobra bit him and he died.
C. It flew back to the cactus.
D. it flew away anticipating danger.
Answer:
B. the cobra bit him and he died.

Question 12.
What did the mongoose do to the snake after killing it?
A. The mongoose ate it up.
B. The mongoose dragged it into the bushes.
C. The mongoose left it lying dead.
D. The mongoose leapt up and started dancing with joy.
Answer:
B. The mongoose dragged it into the bushes.

Question 13.
What had made twisting passages ?
A. The construction made in the open ground.
B. Squirrels and snails
C. The hanging branches of the banyan tree.
D. Butterflies
Answer:
C. The hanging branches of the banyan tree.

Question 14.
The writer could spy the world…
A. with his camera.
B. from the top of his house.
C. hiding himself behind the branches of, the banyan tree.
D. by peeping through ‘the window of his old house.
Answer:
C. hiding himself behind the branches of, the banyan tree.

Question 15.
Who was the writer’s first friend?
A. A small grey squirrel.
B. A boy in the neighbourhood.
C. His grandfather.
D. A red-bottomed bulbul.
Answer:
A. A small grey squirrel.

Question 16.
What did the parrots, myna and crows keep doing all the while ?
A. Twittering
B. Cawing
C. Squabbling with one another
D. Hopping from one branch to another
Answer:
C. Squabbling with one another

Question 17.
The banyan tree was the noisiest place during ……….
A. monsoon.
B. summer.
C. fig season.
D. winter.
Answer:
C. fig season.

Question 18.
A huge black cobra emerged from …………
A. a hole under the banyan tree.
B. a clump of cactus.
C. a burrow beside the banyan tree.
D. the trunk of the tree.
Answer:
B. a clump of cactus.

Question 19.
The mongoose was …………
A. grey in colour.
B. three feet long.
C. clever and aggressive.
D. All of these three
Answer:
A. grey in colour.

Question 20.
The tail of the mongoose was…
A. bushy.
B. spectacled.
C. very long.
D. broad.
Answer:
A. bushy.

Question 21.
By swaying slowly from side to side, the cobra was trying to ………….
A. evade the mongoose.
B. mesmerize the mongoose into making a false move.
C. frighten the mongoose.
D. tire out mongoose to carry on the fight further.
Answer:
B. mesmerize the mongoose into making a false move.

Question 22.
While fighting, the eyes of the cobra were …
A. glassy.
B. blood-shot.
C. unwinking.
D. Both A’ and ‘C’
Answer:
………..

Question 23.
The myna and the crow were sitting…
A. on the top branch of the banyan tree.
B. on a cactus.
C. on the terrace of the writer’s old house.
D. in the bushes nearby.
Answer:
B. on a cactus.

Question 24.
The crow died of…
A. the cobra-bite.
B. the mongoose-bite.
C. the collision with myna in the midair.
D. shot from the writer’s air gun.
Answer:
A. the cobra-bite.

Complete the incomplete sentences :

Question 1.
The tree was older than ……….
Answer:
The tree was older than the house, older than the writer’s grandfather.

Question 2.
The writer lived in ………..
Answer:
The writer lived in the house that belonged to his grandparents.

Question 3.
When the squirrel found that the writer was not armed with ………. he became friendly.
Answer:
When the squirrel found that the writer was not armed with catapult or air gun, he became friendly.

Question 4.
Halfway up the tree, the writer had built ……….
Answer:
Halfway up the tree, the writer had built a crude platform to spend his afternoons.

Question 5.
The gardener had gone into his house because of ……….
Answer:
The gardener had gone into his house because of terrible heat of summer.

Question 6.
Hissing defiance, the cobra’s forked tongue was ……….
Answer:
Hissing defiance, the cobra’s forked tongue was darting in and out.

Question 7.
The cobra and the mongoose were unaware of ……….
Answer:
The cobra and the mongoose were unaware of the writer’s presence in the tree.

Question 8.
When the myna and the crow flew mid-air first time, they…
Answer:
When the myna and the crow flew mid-air first time, they collided heavily in mid-air.

Question 9.
When the mongoose dragged away the cobra into the bushes, the myna…
Answer:
When the mongoose dragged away the cobra into the bushes, the myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance, and then, with a shrill cry of congratulation, s flew away.

State whether the following sentences are True or False. Put ‘T’ for True and ‘F’ for False:

1. The hanging branches of the banyan tree took root again.
Answer:
True

2. The twisting passages formed by the branches of the banyan tree confused the writer a lot.
Answer:
False

3. The squirrel’s friends and relatives thought him wise and smart for trusting a human.
Answer:
False

4. The banyan tree was a library for the writer.
Answer:
True

5. The writer wanted to have a swim with the buffaloes
Answer:
True

6. A mongoose emerged from the bushes.
Answer:
True

7. The cobra was three metres long.
Answer:
False

8. The cobra was a skilful and experienced fighter.
Answer:
True

9. After the bite of the cobra, the crow flung nearly twenty feet away.
Answer:
True

10. In the last move the mongoose had the big snake by the snout.
Answer:
True

(B) Read the following passages and answer the questions given below them:

(1) My first friend was a small grey squirrel. Arching his back and sniffing into the air, he seemed at first to resent my invasion of his privacy. But when he found that I did not arm myself with catapult or air gun, he became friendly and when I started bringing him pieces of cake and biscuit he grew quite bold and was soon taking morsels from hand. Before long, he was delving into my pockets and helping himself to whatever he could s find. He was a very young squirrel and his friends and relatives probably thought him foolish and headstrong for trusting a human.

Question 1.
Who was the author’s first friend and how did he first react to the presence s of the author?
Answer:
A small grey squirrel was the author’s first friend. He felt insecure and used to resent the author’s presence as he felt it was an invasion of his privacy.

Question 2.
When did the author’s friend become friendly with the author?
Answer:
When the author’s friend found outs that the author had no catapult or air gun, he became friendly with the author.

Question 3.
How did the author’s friend become bold with the author?
Answer:
When the author started getting pieces of cake and biscuits for his friend, he became I quite bold and soon started taking morsels from the author’s hand.

Question 4.
Why would the author’s friend delve into his pockets?
Answer:
The author’s friend would delve into his pockets to help himself with whatever he could find there to eat.

Question 5.
Why would the relatives and friends of the squirrel think him to be foolish and headstrong?
Answer:
The relatives and the friends of the squirrel think him to be foolish and head strong for trusting a human.

(2) Halfway up the tree I had built a crude platform where I would spend the afternoons when it was not too hot. I could read there propping myself up against the tree with a cushion from the living room. Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and The Story of Dr Dolittle were some of the books that made up my banyan tree library. When I did not feel like reading, I could look down through the leaves at the world below. And on one particular afternoon I had a grandstand view of that classic of the Indian wilds, a fight between a mongoose and a cobra.

Question 1.
What had the author built halfway up the tree ?
Answer:
The author had built a crude platform halfway up the tree.

Question 2.
What would the author do on a crude platform’ built halfway up the tree ?
Answer:
The author would spend the afternoons on a crude platform built halfway up the tree when it was not too hot. He would read there propping himself up against the tree with a cushion from the living room.

Question 3.
What books made up the author’s banyan tree library?
Answer:
Books like the treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and The Story of Dr Dolittle were some of the books that made up the author’s banyan tree library.

Question 4.
What did the author do when he did not read?
Answer:
When the author did not read, he would look down through the leaves at the world below.

Question 5.
What grandstand view did the author have on one particular afternoon?
Answer:
One particular afternoon, the author had a grandstand view of the classic Indian wilds, a fight between the mongoose and the cobra.

(3) The warm breezes of approaching summer had sent everyone, including the gardener, into the house. I was feeling drowsy myself, wondering if I should go to the pond and have a swim with Ramu and the buffaloes, when I saw a huge black cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus. At the same time a mongoose emerged from the bushes and went straight for the cobra.

In a clearing beneath the banyan tree, in bright sunshine, they came face to face. The cobra knew only too well that the grey mongoose, three feet long, was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra, too, was a skilful and an experienced fighter. He could move swiftly and strike with the speed of light and the sacs behind his long sharp fangs were full of deadly poison. It was to be a battle of champions.

Question 1.
Why had everyone including the, gardener gone inside the house?
Answer:
The warm breezes of the approaching summer had sent everyone including the gardener inside the house.

Question 2.
What was the author thinking of doing?
Answer:
The author was thinking of going to the pond and having a swim with Ramu and the buffaloes.

Question 3.
What did the author see as he sat on the crude platform one fine afternoon?
Answer:
One fine afternoon as the author sat on his crude platform he saw a huge black cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus. He also saw a mongoose emerge from the bushes and going straight for the cobra.

Question 4.
What was the cobra aware of?
Answer:
The cobra was aware that the mongoose who was three feet long, was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive.

Question 5.
Describe the cobra.
Answer:
The cobra Was a skilful and an experienced fighter. He could move swiftly and strike with the speed of light. The sacs behind his long sharp fangs were full of deadly poison.

(4) The cobra stood on the defensive, swaying slowly from side to side, trying to mesmerise the mongoose into making a false move. But the mongoose knew the power of his opponent’s glassy, unwinking eyes and refused to meet them. Instead he fixed his gaze at a point just below the cobra’s hood and opened the attack. Moving forward quickly until he was just within the cobra’s reach, the mongoose made a pretended move to one side. Immediately I the cobra struck. His great hood came down so swiftly that I thought nothing could save the mongoose. But the little fellow jumped neatly to one side, and darted in as swiftly as the cobra, biting the snake on the back and darting away again out of reach. At the same moment that the cobra struck, s the crow and the myna hurled themselves at him, only to collide heavily in mid-air. Shrieking insults at each other they returned to the cactus plant. A few drops of blood glistened on the cobra’s back.

Question 1.
How was the cobra trying to mesmerise the mongoose?
Answer:
The cobra was swaying slowly from side s to side in order to mesmerise the mongoose.

Question 2.
Why did the mongoose not meet the eyes of the cobra?
Answer:
The mongoose was aware of the power s of the glassy unwinking eyes of the cobra. Hence, he did not meet the cobra’s eyes.

Question 3.
Why did the author think that nothing would be able to save the mongoose?
Answer:
As the fight between the mongoose and the cobra was gaining momentum, the mongoose in order to misguide the cobra pretended to move to one side. Immediately the cobra struck with his great hood very swiftly on the mongoose. Hence the author thought that nothing would be able to save the mongoose.

Question 4.
How did the mongoose save himself?
Answer:
The mongoose jumped neatly to one side and darted in as swiftly as the cobra, biting the snake on the back and darting away again out of reach.

Question 5.
Why did the crow and the myna hurl insults at each other?
Answer:
To join the fight, the crow and the myna both hurled themselves on the cobra at the same time. However, they collided heavily in mid-air. Hence they returned to the cactus plant hurling insults at each other.

(5) I saw the bird flung nearly twenty feet across the garden. It fluttered about for a while, then lay still. The myna remained on the cactus plant and when the snake and the mongoose returned to the fight, very wisely decided not to interfere again. The cobra was weakening and the mongoose, walking fearlessly up to it, raised himself on his short legs and with a lightning snap had the big snake by the snout. The cobra writhed and lashed about in a frightening manner and even coiled itself about the mongoose, but to no avail. The little fellow hung grimly on, until the snake had ceased to struggle.” He then smelt along its quivering length, gripped it round the hood and dragged it into the bushes. The myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance and then, with a shrill cry of congratulation, flew away.

Question 1.
Why did the myna decide not to interfere again?
Answer:
The myna had witnessed the crow s losing its life in the quest of participating in the fight. Hence, it decided not to interfere again in the fight.

Question 2.
What did the mongoose do after it saw that the cobra was weakening?
Answer:
After it saw that the cobra was weakening, the mongoose walked fearlessly up to it, raised himself on his short legs and with a lightning snap had the big snake by the snout.

Question 3.
How did the mongoose kill the cobra?
Answer:
Once the mongoose had the cobra by its snout, the cobra writhed and lashed about in a frightening manner and even coiled itself around the mongoose, but to no avail. The mongoose hung grimly on until the snake had ceased to struggle.

Question 4.
What did the mongoose do after the snake had ceased to struggle?
Answer:
After the snake had ceased to struggle, the mongoose smelt the snake along its quivering length, gripped it round the hood and dragged it into the bushes.

Question 5.
What did the myna do after the mongoose dragged the cobra into the bushes?
Answer:
After the mongoose dragged the cobra into the bushes, the myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance and then with a shrill cry of congratulation, flew away.

Working With Language

(A)

Question 1.
The word ‘round’ usually means a kind of shape. What is its meaning in the story?
Answer:
In this story, the word ‘round’ means the stage in a fight or in a competition.

Question 2.
Find five words in the following paragraph, which are generally associated with trees. But here, they have been used differently. Underline the words. Hari leaves for work at nine every morning. He works in the local branch of the firm of which his uncle is the owner. Hari’s success is really the fruit of his own labour. He is happy, but he has a small problem. The root cause of his problem is a stray dog near his office. The dog welcomes Hari with a loud bark every day.
Answer:
Leaves, branch, fruit, root and bark.

(B) The words in the box are all the words that describe movement. Use them to fill in the blanks in the sentences below:

dived, gliding, sprang, darting, whipped/ hack, delving

1. When he began to trust me, the squirrel, began ……… into my pockets for morsels of cake.
2. I saw a cobra ……… out of a clump of cactus.
3. The snake hissed, his forked tongue ……….. in and out.
4. When the cobra tried to bite it, the mongoose …………. aside.
5. The snake ………. his head ……… to strike at the crow.
6. The birds ………… at the snake.
Answer:
1. delving
2. gliding
3. darting
4. sprang
5. whipped, back
6. dived

(C) Find words in the story, which show things striking violently against each other.

1.The cobra struck the crow, his snout th …….. ……. ……. ing against its body.
2. The crow and the myna c …………… ll …….. …….. …….. …….. in mid-air.
3. The birds dived at the snake, but b ……. …….. …….. …….. d into each other instead.
Answer:
1. thudding
2. collided
3. bumped

(D) Look at these sentences :

• In the spring, birds of all kinds would flock into the banyan tree’s branches.	• Grandfather, at sixty-five, could no longer climb the banyan tree.
• I would spend the afternoons there.	• I could hide myself in its branches.
	• I could look down through the leaves at the world below.
	• I could read there.
• ‘Would’ tells us what the author used to do or what used to happen.	• ‘Could’ tells us what the author was usually able- to do or grandfather is now not able to do.

Choose ‘would’ and ‘could’ to replace the italicized words in the following sentences :
Grandfather says, in the old days.

1. Elephants were able to fly in the sky, like clouds. They were also able to change their shapes. They used to fly behind clouds and frighten them. People used to look up at the sky in wonder.
2. Because there was no electricity, he used to get up with the sun and he used to go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. Like the owl, he was able to see quite well in the dark. He was able to tell who was coming by listening to their footsteps.
Answer:
1. Elephants could fly in the sky, like clouds. They could also change their shapes. They would fly behind clouds and frighten them. People would look up at the sky in wonder.
2. Because there was no electricity, he would get up with the sun and would go to bed with the sun, like the birds.
3. Like the owl, he could see quite well in the dark. He could tell who was coming by listening to their footsteps.

Grammar

Active and Passive voice:
An action of a subject, in relation to an object, is expressed in two ways. These two ways of expressing the action of a subject are known as voices. There are two types of voices :
• Active voice
• Passive voice

Active voice: In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences that we use in everyday language are active sentences.
(Thing doing action) + (verb) + (thing receiving action)

For example : She is eating an apple.
Here ‘She’ is the subject, ‘is eating’ “is the verb and ‘apple’ becomes the object of the verb.

Passive voice: In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the things performing the action is optionally included at the end of the sentence.
(Things receiving action) + (correct form of verb ‘to be’) + (past participle of the verb) + (by) + (thing doing action)

For example: An apple is being eaten by hen Here, ‘an apple’ is the subject, ‘is being eaten’ is the verb and ‘her’ is the object.

The meaning or the main idea of the sentence either expressed as active or passive voice does not change. To understand the difference in both the voices, we should focus on the subject and the object of a sentence. In Active voice, the subject acts upon the object. In Passive voice, the object acts upon the subject. The meaning remains the same only the sequence of the words changes.

The structure of the same sentence in both the voices is as follows :
Active voice : Subject + Verb + Object
Passive voice : Object + Verb + Subject
Rules for changing Active voice to Passive voice :

Rule 1 : The structure of the sentence will be reversed in Passive voice. The places of the subject and the object will interchange. Example: She is buying fruits and vegestables. Active voice Fruits and vegetables are being bought by her. Passive voice

Rule 2: Only past participle form or third I form of the verb will always be used as main verb in Passive voices for all tenses. No other form of verb will be used as main verb.

Example: He buys a camera. – Active voice
A camera is bought by him. – Passive voice

Rule 3: The word ‘by’ will either be used explicitly or would be implied before the subject in Passive voice.
Example: She drinks water. – Active voice
Water is drunk by her. – Passive voice

Rule 4: Other words such as ‘with’ or ‘to’ may also be used instead of the word ‘by’ depending upon the subject of the sentence. These words are used in very few cases. The word ‘by’ is used in most cases.
Example: I know him. – Active voice He is known to me. – Passive voice Water fills a tub.-Active voice A tub is filled with water. – Passive voice

Rule 5: The auxiliary verb will be changed in Passive voice depending upon the tense of the sentence in the Active voice.

Rule 6: Subject may not always be mentioned, in Passive voice. A Passive voice sentence can be written without a subject if it gives a clear idea about the subject.
Example : Women are not treated as equals. -Active voice
Sugar is sold in kilograms. – Passive voice

Exercises

(A) Identify whether the following sentences are in Active or in Passive voice :

(1) The dog was jumping over the fence.
(2) The school declared a holiday to celebrate the annual day.
(3) A beautiful painting was put on display by the artist.
(4) All roads leading to her home were blocked by traffic.
(5) Children enjoy eating ice creams.
(6) I went to the garden in my locality with my mother.
(7) She was gifted a computer.
(8) The balloons were filled with air.
(9) Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal.
(10) The teacher distributed sweets amongst all the students.
Answer:
(1) Active voice
(3) Passive voice
(5) Active voice
(7) Passive voice
(9) Active voice

(B) Change the following sentences from Active voice to Passive voice:

Question 1.
Both the sisters have cleaned this room.
Answer:
This room has been cleaned by both the sisters.

Question 2.
The entire Gupta family visited the fair last evening.
Answer:
The fair was visited by the entire Gupta family last evening.

Question 3.
My aunt has cooked some delicious sweets.
Answer:
Some delicious sweets have been cooked by my aunt.

Question 4.
The guard opened the gate to the building.
Answer:
The gate to the building was opened by the guard.

Question 5.
The mother scolded the child for misbe-having.
Answer:
The child was scolded by the mother for misbehaving.

Question 6.
My father gifted me a brand new bicycle.
Answer:
I was gifted a brand new bicycle by my father.

Question 7.
Many guests attended the wedding party.
Answer:
The wedding party was attended by many guests.

Question 8.
She was so hungry that she almost gulped down her food.
Answer:
She was so hungry that her food was almost gulped down by her.

Question 9.
New cars only add on to the chaotic traffic on the road.
Answer:
The chaotic traffic on the road is only added by the new cars.

Question 10.
Money cannot buy all the happiness.
Answer:
All the happiness cannot be bought by money.

Question 11.
He teaches English.
Answer:
English is taught by him.

Question 12.
The master punished the servant.
Answer:
The servant was punished by the master.

Question 13.
He wore a blue shirt.
Answer:
A blue shirt was worn by him.

Question 14.
I have finished the job.
Answer:
The job has been finished by me.

Question 15.
I sent the report yesterday.
Answer:
The report was sent by me yesterday.

(C) Change the following from Passive voice to Active voice:

Question 1.
He is being cheated by his own friends.
Answer:
His own friends arc cheating on him.

Question 2.
The story was listened to with apt attention.
Answer:
They listened to the story with apt attention.

Question 3.
The trees were uprooted by the rains.
Answer:
The rains uprooted the trees.

Question 4.
By whom was this poem written ?
Answer:
Who wrote this poem?

Question 5.
America was discovered by Columbus.
Answer:
Columbus discovered America.

Question 6.
The international borders are being well guarded by the army.
Answer:
The army is well guarding the inter-national borders.

Question 7.
Is Rakesh being taught English by you ?
Answer:
Are you taching English to Rakesh?

Question 8.
The broken window-pane was replaced by my neighbour.
Answer:
My neighbour replaced the broken window-pane.

Question 9.
A spider was killed by the boy.
Answer:
The boy killed a spider.

Question 10.
A canal was being dug by the workers.
Answer:
The workers were digging a canal.

Question 11.
Ail the necessary precautions were taken by them.
Answer:
They took all the necessary precautions.

Question 12.
Maize is sown in the rainy season.
Answer:
The farmers sow maize in the rainy season.

Question 13.
Let him be helped by you.
Answer:
Help him.

Question 14.
A song is sung by him.
Answer:
He sings a song.

Question 15.
Is a letter being written by you?
Answer:
Are you writing a letter?

(D) Select the appropriate words from the box and fill In the blanks in the given text:

hurled, shrieking , that, glistened, struck , only, returned, heavily.

At the same moment ……………. the cobra ……………. the crow and the myna ……………. them selves at him ……………. to collide ……………. In mid-air ……………. insults at each other they ……………. to the cactus plant. A few drops of blood ……………. on the cobra’s neck.
Answer:
(1) At the same moment that the cobra struck, the crow and the myna hurled them selves at him, only to collide heavily in mid-air. Shrieking Insults at each other they returned to the, cactus plant. A few drops of blood glistened on the cobra’s neck.

(E) Each of the following lines has an error in it. Pick them out and correct them as shown below:

(F) Fill in the blanks in the following text with the appropriate forms of verbs given in the brackets:

Students ……………. (discuss) the special prize. In Class V, Naren ………… (laugh) and ………… (say) loudly to Rashmin, you ………… (know), Rashmin, that the special prize for the best character ………… (award) to Tapan ?
Answer:
Students were discussing the special prize. In Class V, Naren laughed and said loudly to Rashmin, “Do you know, Rashmin, that the special prize for the best character will be awarded to Tapan ?

(G) Fill in the blanks in the following text with appropriate conjunctions:

Th children were so ………….. happy they never quarrelled amongst themselves …………. were always hungry to know more. This was one school …………. they could not stay away from

Answer:
The children were so happy that they never quarrelled amongst themselves and were always hungry to know more. This was one school which they could not stay away from.

(H) Rewrite as directed :

(1) Though the house and grounds belonged to my grandparents, the magnificent old banyan tree was mine. (Use ‘but’.)
(2) My grandfather, at sixty-five, could no longer climb the tree. (Turn into Affirmative.)
(3) The tree was older than the house. (Change the Degree.)
(4) It was too hot to stay up in the room. (Remove ‘too’.)
(5) The young boy spent his afternoons in the tree. (Change the Voice.)
(6) The long hair on his spine stood up (Turn into Interrogative.)
(7) The cobra stood on the defensive ……….. (Add a Question Tag.)
(8) I was feeling drowsy myself. (Turn into Negative.)
Answer:
(1) The house and grounds belonged to my grandparents, but the magnificent old banyan tree was mine.
(2) My grandfather, at sixty-five, was unable to climb the tree.
(3) The house was not so old as the tree.
(4) It was so hot that we could not stay up in the room.
(5) His afternoons were spent by the young boy in the tree.
(6) Didn’t the long hair on his spine stand up?
(7) The cobra stood on the defensive, didn’t it?
(8) I was not feeling fresh myself.

(I) Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in the proper order. (11, 16)

(1) ceased to struggle	(1) grabbed the snake by the snout
(2) tried to mes­merise the mongoose	(2) dragged the snake into the bushes
(3) coiled itself around the mongoose	(3) darted away and bit the cobra on the back
(4) struck the crow	(4) pretended to attack the cobra on one side
(5) struck again and missed	(5) refused to look into the snake’s eyes
(6) struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack	(6) sprang aside, jumped in and bit

Answer:
(1) The snake tried to mesmerise the mongoose refused to look into the snake’s eyes.
(2) The snake struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack. The mongoose darted away and bit the cobra on the back.
(3) The snake coiled itself around the mongoose. The mongoose sprang aside, jumped in and bit.
(4) The snake struck the crow. The mongoose pretended to attack the cobra on one side.
(5) The snake struck again and missed. The mongoose grabbed the snake by the snout.
(6) The snake ceased to struggle. The mongoose dragged the snake into the bushes.

(J) Turn the following dialogue into Indirect Speech:

Hello. Rutvik! You are not allowed in here! Were working !“ warned the teacher.
“I know! But I’ve been sent to tell you to meet the principal soon.”
‘Who sent you here to give me this message’?”
My class teacher, madam.”
Answer:
The teacher warned Rutwik that he was not allowed there. She said that they were working. Rutwik replied that he knew (It). But he has been sent to tell her to meet the principal soon. The teacher asked Rutwik further who had sent him there to give her that message. Rutwlk replied respectfully that his class teacher had sent him there to give her that message.

Additional Writing

my favourite place

Read again the paragraphs of the story in which the author describes the banyan tree and what he used to do there. Is there a place in your house or in your grandparents’ or uncles’ or aunts’ houses, that you specially like ? Write a short paragraph about it, saying

• where it is
• what you do there
• why you like it

You may instead write about a place you dislike or are afraid of. Every summer vacation, I visit my grandmother’s house on the outskirts of Mumbai. I love the house as it is in a quiet locality surrounded by mountains. Though it is quiet warm in the day time, the nights get cooler. I enjoy swinging on the hammock in my grandmother’s garden. That is my favourite place in her house. I also enjoy reading my favourite books while on the hammock and hear the birds chirp in a melodious tune.

Writing Skills

Write an essay on the topic ‘A visit to the countryside’. You can make use of the points mentioned below:

Last summer vacation my family and I planned a trip to our farm-70 km from Ahmedabad city-fair from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic city life – we drove down-journey was pleasamt-we played games and samg songs all through the journey-soon the landscape chamged-we could see green fields on both sides – also opened windows to get some fresh air – we stopped by to have some fresh sugaircane juice – we were aimazed as it was pleasant in the otherwise scorching summer felt a cool breeze blowing by – reached the farm in the evening – the caretaker cooked meal with fresh home grown vegetables from our fatrm – enjoyed delicious mead-went to the terrace to sleep-under the sky – played gaunes – were surprised as we needed wairm clothes to keep ourselves warm – in the morning we were woken up by the melodious notes of the birds – we went for a wadk in the farms – were explained how seeds aire sown amd the process of growing headthy crops-spent the day knowing people working ‘ in the farm-played with their children-had some delicious food adl day-slept peacefully that night – next morning it was time to l return-I took back pleasant memories from the trip-look forward to visiting’the farms once again soon.

Write a report on ‘The Independence Day Celebrated in My School’.

Celebration Of Independence Day

August 16, 2020
This year we celebrated Independence Day with great fanfare. As usual there was the s parade and the flag-hoisting in the school grounds. This was followed by some speeches and the singing of the national anthem. Std. VIII was in charge of the class exhibition this year. The theme was ‘India-My Country’. We decorated four classrooms with charts and models dealing with information about all the states and union territories of India. Students dressed in traditional costumes representing the various regions of India. Parents and students alike lined up to have a look. It was indeed a feast of colours. One of the classrooms was a food shop, where ethnic Indian food from aim regions of the nation were served. The money so collected would be put in the ‘Poor Students Fund’. We collected almost four thousand rupees this times The Headmaster congratulated us. After lunch we went home, quite thrilled that our Independence Day celebration was a huge success.

Match the columns:

(1 – h), (2- e), (3 – a), (4 – g), (5 – b), (6 – c), (7 – d), (8 – f).

The Banyan Tree Summary in English

Part I

This is the story of what a young boy (the author) saw at his grandfather’s house. The author says that though the house and the grounds belonged to his grandparents, the huge banyan tree belonged to him. The author had build a huge platform halfway up the tree. He would spend his afternoon time there. His first friend was a small grey squirrel.

He used the platform as his library where he would road books. When the author did not feel like reading, he would look down from the platform and see the world. Through the leaves, one day he saw an interesting fight between a mongoose and a snake

Part II

The author saw a big black cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus. At the same time, a mongoose emerged from the bushes and went straight for the cobra. The cobra and the .mongoose came face to face in a clearing beneath the banyan tree. Both got ready for a fight. The mongoose fixed his look just below the cobra’s hood and opened the attack. The fight started. Every time the cobra attacked, the mongoose sprang aside

Two other spectators, a crow and a myna also participated in the fight in which the crow lost his life. The fight went on for some time. The cobra grew tired after a while. The mongoose raised himself on his short legs and with a lightning snap caught the cobra by the snout.

The mongoose hung grimly on until the snake ceased to struggle. Then the mongoose gripped the cobra round the hood and dragged it into the bushes. The myna came to the ground, peered into the bushes and flew away, congratulating the mongoose.

Glossary

spy (v.) watch secretly resent (v.) dislike, feel angry about privacy (n.) the right of freedom to be left alone morsels (n.) small pieces of food delving (v.) going deep into during the fig season (n.) the time when figs appear propping myself up (v.) leaning against grandstand view (n.) a clear view from the best position (a grandstand is a large covered space with rows of seats for people to watch sports) gliding (v.) moving smoothly clump (n.) group (of bushes or tre§g) emerged (v.) came out clearing (n.) an open space in a forest where there are no trees sacs (n.) a part (of an

animal or plant) shaped like a bag fangs, (n.) long, sharp teeth (of snake or dog) defiance (n.) rebellion, resistance dart (v.) move quickly, suddenly combatants fn.J participants in a fight spectators (n.) those who watch a show, a game, etc. outcome (n.) result mesmerise (v.) here, magically persuade a false move an unwise action glistened (v.) shone round (n.) here, a stage in a fight or a competition pull up (v.) here, stop whipped… back (v.) moved back suddenly snout (n.) the nose .and mouth of an animal to no avail with no success.