BLOSSOMS - 7

ENGLISH READER
Semester-2
Textbook Development Committee
Smt. Vetriselvi. K, I.A.S.
State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, Andhra Pradesh
Special Officer, English Medium Project, Andhra Pradesh

Dr. B. Pratap Reddy, MA., B.Ed., Ph.D.

Director - SCERT, Andhra Pradesh
Sri. D. Madhusudhana Rao, MA., B.Ed.
Director - Government Textbook Press, AP

Co - Ordinator

Dr. Katabathina Subramanyam

M.Sc, M.A, M.Ed, M.Phil, Ph.D.
Professor, SCERT, Andhra Pradesh

Editors
Dr. Hitesh C. Bhakat
Professor, RIESI, Bengaluru.
Dr. K. Narsimha Rao, M.A, M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Professor, EFLU, Hyderabad.

Dr. V.B. Chitra

Professor, JNTU, Ananthapuramu

Sri. G.G.S. Nageswara Rao, M.A, M.Ed., Lecturer in English

D.I.E.T, Bheemunipatnam, Visakhapatnam Dist.

Acknowledgements to
Dr. R. Meganathan, Dr. K.N. Shoba, M.A, M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Professor, NCERT, New Delhi Asst. Professor, Anna University, Chennai.
Published by Samagra Shiksha, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati.

i
 © Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati

First Published 2021

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means
without the prior permission in writing of the
publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any
form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published and without a similar
condition including this condition being
imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The copyright holder of this book is the
Commissioner of School Education,
Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

This book has been printed on 70 G.S.M. SS Maplitho

Title Page 200 G.S.M. White Art Card

Free distribution by Samagra Shiksha, Government of Andhra Pradesh

Printed in India
at the A.P. Govt. Text Book Press
Amaravati
Andhra Pradesh

ii
 Subject Co-ordinator
Sri. Adini Vijay Kumar
Dept. of C&T, SCERT, AP, Amaravati

Authors

Sri. Cheemalapati VLSKN Sarma, Sri. Pydi Kasiviswanadha Rao, SA,

S A, Z.P.H.S, Vempadam, Vizianagaram Dt. ZPHS, Ravichandri, Srikakulam Dt.

Sri. G. Kumaraswamy, SA Smt. S.Padma Priya, PGT

Z.P.H.S, Janakayyapeta, Visakhapatnam Dt. APMS, Gospadu, Kurnool Dt.

Sri. K.David Brainard, SA Shaik Sahanaz, SA

MPUPS, Kammavaripalli, Anantapur Dt. Z.P.H.S, Tellabadu, Prakasam Dt.

Smt. T.Sunitha, SA Sri. M.Diwakar, SA

MPUPS, Gurrajupeta, Visakhapatnam Dt. ZPPHS,Vemagiri, East Godavari Dt.

Sri. P.Nirikshana Raju, SA Smt. P.Swarnalatha, Faculty,

MVNZPHS, Undrajavaram, W.G. Dt. DIET, Mynampadu, Prakasam Dt.

Smt. M.Geetha Bharati, SA Smt. M.Abigail, Faculty,

SRRZPHS(B), Nuzivid, Krishna Dt. DIET, Boyapalem, Guntur Dt.

Sri.P.Vijaya Babu, SA Smt. K.Jothi, SA

ZPHS, Chamedala, SPSR Nellore Dt. ZPHS, Pillaripattu, Chittoor Dt.

Sri. B.Venkateswarlu, SA Smt. B.V.P. Srilalitha, Faculty,

ZPHS, Sidhout, YSR Kadapa Dt. SCERT, A P, Vijayawada.

Dr. M.Ravikiran,
Professor, SCERT, A P, Vijayawada.

Illustrator DTP & Designing

Sri. S.P.Mallikarjuna Rao, Rasmi Graphics,
Art Instructor, ZPHS, Tadigadapa, Hyderabad
Krishna Dist.

iii
 Foreword
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has unleashed a new era in school education by intro-
ducing extensive curricular reforms from the academic year 2021-22. The Government has taken
up curricular reforms intending to enhance the learning outcomes of the children with focus on
building solid foundational learning and to build up an environment conducive for an effective
teaching-learning process. To achieve this objective, special care has been taken in designing the
textbooks to achieve global standards.
As a part of the curricular reform, in order to support the designing of textbooks with better
pedagogical strategies, handbooks are given to teachers with elaborate lesson plans. Parental hand-
books are prepared to impart awareness regarding the teaching-learning process to the parent
community. QR codes are incorporated in the beginning of each lesson to enable learning outside
the classroom.
There are eight lessons in the textbook. The lessons are developed on the basis of the
themes prescribed by NEP-2020 viz., wit and humour, motivation, culture and tourism, bravery,
freedom, women empowerment, inclusivity, love for animals and responsibility. Utmost care has
been taken in the selection of main- reading, poems and extensive-reading that they are age and
level appropriate. It is vivid that the variety of genre included the textbook will facilitate the stu-
dents in exploring the different types of literature and help them grow interest in writing discourses
on their owl and also achieving the learning outcomes.
We are grateful to the Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Sri.Y.S.Jagan Mohan
Reddy for being our source of inspiration to carry out such an extensive reform in the education
department field of education. We extend our gratitude to Honourable Minister of Education
Dr. Adimulapu Suresh, for striving towards qualitative education. Our special thanks to Sri. Budithi
Rajsekhar, IAS, Principal Secretary, School Education, Sri. Vadrevu Chinaveerabhadrudu, IAS,
Commissioner, School Education, Mrs. Vetriselvi. K, IAS State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha,
for their constant motivation and esteemed guidance.
We convey our special thanks to Sri C A V Prasad, Member, School Education Regulatory
and Monitoring Commission, Professor Ramanujam Meganathan, NCERT, Dr. V. Madhavi, Assis-
tant Professor, SKD University, Anantapur, Dr. R.Poornima, Academic Consultant, British Coun-
cil, Smt. K.N. Sobha, Assistant Professor, Anna University, Chennai and the textbook writers who
studied curriculum from North America to South Africa and recommended the best practices
across the globe to reach global standards. Our heartfelt thanks to NCERT, SCERT of Karnataka,
Kerala, and Tamilnadu in designing the textbooks. We also thank our textbook writers, editors,
artists and layout designers for their contribution and dedication in the development of this text-
book.
Constructive feedback from the teachers and parents is invited for the refinement of the
textbook.
Dr. B. Pratap Reddy
Director
SCERT – Andhra Pradesh

iv
 Our National Anthem
- Rabindranath Tagore

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata
Panjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
uchchala-jaladhi-taranga
Tava Subha name jage, tave subha asisa mage,
gahe tava jaya-gatha.
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,
jaya jaya jaya jaya he.

Pledge
- Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao

India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters.

I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect,
and treat everyone with courtesy. I shall be kind to animals.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my happiness.

v
 BLOSSOMS - 7
ENGLISH READER
Class - 7

Semester - 2

Contents

S.No Content Month Pages

1. The Art of Weaving Nov 1

2. The Why - Why Girl Dec 20

Jan 35
3. The Bond of Love

4. Gurajada - The Legend Feb 50

Revision Mar

Student Corner Teacher Corner

vi
The learner

1. The Art of Weaving

1. Listening and speaking

identifies the silent letters in the given words.
sings the poem and appreciate it.
visits and understands what is to be learnt in language laboratory.
2. Reading comprehension
reads a variety of texts and arrange the sentences in sequential order.
3. Grammatical awareness
writes grammatically correct sentences using Present Continuous Tense etc.
learns the Reported speech sentences, changes statements from Direct to Indirect Speech.
4. Vocabulary
identifies the adverbs and learn some idioms to express happiness.
5. Creative writing
prepares an invitatin card using the given card.
writes question tags to the given questions.

2. The Why - Why Girl

1. Listening and Speaking

Listens the story and reproduces its content.
sings the poem and appreciate it.
2. Reading comprehension
identifies the message of the lesson and the poem.
3. Grammatical Awareness
uses Wh questions for asking information.
4. Vocabulary
learns the homphones and its meanings.
5. Creative writing
prepares a script to present a drama.

3. The Bond of Love

1. Listening and speaking

responds to instructions made in class, school assembly.
listens the story and reproduces its idea and theme.

vii
 2. Reading comprehension
reads a variety of texts and arrange the sentences in sequential order.
3. Grammatical awareness
learns Adverbs and its placemets.
identifies the Voice in the sentences.
learns about Prepositions and its usage.
4. Vocabulary
writes ei, ie words.
5. Creative writing
writes guided conversation.

4 . Gurajada - The Legend

1. Listening and speaking

listens the story and gests the idea.
say the statements whether true or false.
uses giving advice in different contexts.
2. Reading Comprehension
identifies the characters in the lesson and understands their nature.
3. Grammatical Awareness
writes grammatically correct sentences for a variety of situations using Simple Future.
writes negative sentences for the given positive sentences and frames questions .
4. Vocabulary
finds synonyms to the words.
writes antonyms to the given words.
5. Creative Writing
writes Diary entry and Book review.

viii
 Instructions to teachers

In this book...
Certain values and attitudes, namely compassion, friendship, caring for elders,
forgiveness, patriotism, saving environment and humour which are more relevant to the
present society are included.
The components in each Unit are designed to create interest among students and
make them involve in various learning activities to improve their language skills.
1) Pre-reading:
Each lesson contains a face sheet with a picture on it.
This picture is to be used as a trigger for interacting with learners with the help of
various questions.
2) Reading:
Reading session is conducted to enable the learners to make sense of the reading
text and reflect on the text.
Each reading text has a form and a theme.
The reading text may be divided into a few segments and transacted in a few periods.
3) Vocabulary:
Vocabulary session focuses on enriching the learners’ language.
To enable the learners to identify words and to use them in their day to day
communication.
It is always better to contextualise vocabulary in real life situations.
4) Grammar:
Grammar session lays emphasis on making the learners’ language more accurate
and to enable the learners to use grammar in different contexts in their real life.
It is always better to teach grammar contextually.
5) Writing:
Writing session aims at enabling the learners to develop imaginative thinking abilities
to express themselves creatively.
A discussion is to be generated on what the learners are going to write and let them
note down the points before they start writing the given task.

ix
6) Talking Time:
‘Talking Time’ session activates and stimulates the learners to generate the language
by themselves.
There is a lot of scope to attract the learners towards English language by involving
them in various activities in this sessions namely minimal pairs, language functions
etc.
7) Project Work:
Project work gives scope for “Learning by doing.” So, ensure that every student
should participate.
Project work enables the learners to improve their language skills and to participate
in teamwork.
8) Listening:
Listening session provides a lot of input that is very important for second language
acquisition especially for improving speaking skill.
It is always better to provide opportunities both inside and outside the classroom
for the learners to be exposed to listening input.
9) Extensive Reading (Read it yourself) :
This session enables the learners to build reading speed which helps learners to
understand English faster and better.
It may be seen that the objective of extensive reading is ‘reading for pleasure.’
10) Study skills:
This books lays the greatest emphasis on developing study skills where learners
infer, analyse, evaluate, interpret and refer to dictionary on their own.
11) Fun Time:
This session activates and stimulates the learners to think and use their imagination
in puzzle solving, answering riddles etc.
‘Fun Time’ makes them enjoy using English.
12) Poem:
The inclusion of four poems in this book helps the learners enjoy and appreciate
poetry.

x
Look at the following picture and Answer
the questions that follow.

1. Have you seen any of these in your locality / place?

2. How do they make these puppet?
3. Have you ever tried to make anyone of the craft?
4. Are there any craftsmen/craftswomen in your village/area?
5. What art / craft do you like the most?
Let's go through a case-study related to the art of weaving practised as a profession
in one of the towns of Andhra Pradesh.

1 English Reader
 The Art of Weaving

My English teacher had taken the class for a case-study to Mangalagiri which is one of the
most famous tours in the Guntur District.

We went to Mangalagiri, one of the famous towns in Guntur District, along with our English
teacher on a case-study.

First, we consulted a master weaver, Veeraiah, for the details "where to go?", "whom to
meet?" Mr. Veeraiah cordially welcomed us. He said "Mangalagiri is famous for its sarees and
fabrics produced by handicraft weaving. Many families live on the art of weaving here."

We asked him, "Could you please tell us about the fabric of Mangalagiri?" He
expressed his gratitude for our concern for them and responded most positively:

"This fabric is the product of weaving with the help of pit looms. It takes much time to weave
and requires a lot of patience to prepare everything ready. Mangalagiri sarees are special for their
quality and the process we follow. The quality of fabric depends upon the yarn we use. Generally,
we purchase cotton yarn from different mills from our state and Jari from Surath, Maharashtra."

"Sir, can you explain how you begin the process of weaving?" asked one of our
classmates.

Veeraiah said, "First, the yarn is boiled in the water, mixed with caustic soda, for a couple
of hours and also bleached to make it suitable for dyeing".

"Sir, do you purchase coloured yarn for weaving coloured fabrics?" asked one of us.

"No. dyeing is an important and significant step in handloom saree production. Our tech-
niques give a unique and durable colour to the fabric. After dyeing it is washed, dried at room
temperature and brought for the process of spinning, locally called 'aasu'. Later yarn spools are
made ready for the next step of making a fabric."

Blossoms - 7 2
 We went through the streets of Mangalagiri and observed people doing something with the
yarn.
One of us asked, "What are you doing?" Ramaiah, a weaver, greeted us with a smile and
replied, "We are street-sizing."
"Street-sizing? Could you please tell us what street - sizing is ?" asked one of us.
Ramaiah took us to an open area where the yarn was spread in full length of warp in 25
metres. A wonderful view to look at. The radiance of the colours in the bright sun lasts forever
in our memory.

3 English Reader
 "After dyeing, the yarn is sundried
and combed to get it stiff through street-
sizing. Street-sizing is the extension of
the warp, spraying of starch and brush-
ing followed by drying to get it ready.
We need an open and a spacious place
for street-sizing. Next the warp is rolled
on an iron rod which is fixed in a loom
to weave. Now, it is all set for the
weaving." He added, pointing to the
long-stretched yarn which was rich and
colourful.
We were happy exploring the process of weaving on the looms.
We went on to visit another house in Mangalagiri. There we noticed a man working. One
of us enquired, "Sir, what are you doing?" He replied, "I am weaving a saree."

We understood that Handloom is a simple machine used for weaving. It is a manual operating
system. The fabric which is made on the pit loom (maggam) with a dobby attachment mechanism
is very unique and beautiful.

While we were going on the streets of Mangalagiri, we met another weaver Sambayya who
was selling handloom sarees. We asked him, 'Why is the fabric produced in Mangalagiri
special from other fabrics?"
His enthusiasm was evidently seen when he said, "The Nizam design is a unique character-
istic feature of this fabric. The uniqueness of Mangalgiri cotton is because of its durability. The
fabric is woven only on a pit loom, and there are no gaps on the weave towards the edges of the
fabric along with the fact that it is created in my Mangalgiri alone. The body and the pallu is
embellished with zari or golden thread work with a Nizam boarder and geometrical and simple
designs.
"Sir, do you weave my sarees only?" one of my classmates asked him.
"No. We weave not only sarees but also fabric for dress materials, Kurtas, Dupattas and
shirts. Jhola bags made of this fabric are well known to everyone," he proudly responded.
"Sir, are these fabrics cheaper than fabrics produced in powerloom mills? Could
you explain?" our teacher asked.
'Yes, a very good question sir. Indeed, weaving fabric on a hand loom is more expensive
than that of a power loom. It's an art. People should have a taste of wearing these clothes.

Blossoms - 7 4
 It has a rich appearance. The quality of work done by the weavers and the pain the weavers
take for weaving a saree keep the love for our Mangalagiri fabric," he explained.
Enthusiastically we asked him, "Sir, how many people have to work for weaving a
saree? How long does it take to complete a saree?"
He smiled and said, "5 to 6 persons have to work in each stage. The length of the warp
is around 25 metres long which can make four sarees at a time. This requires approximately 10
days. It means, it takes 2 to 3 days for single saree."

Not knowing how we can repay his services as he is the source of learning the facts of
weaving, we expressed our heartfelt thanks to him, before leaving Mangalagiri.
Around 5000 weavers are working in the
Mangalagiri textiles industry in a population of eighty
thousand. Mangalagiri has a special place in the
world textile map because of the handloom sarees
and the dress-materials woven here are world
famous.
The weavers face many problems in the textile
industry they face tough competition, change in
fashion, trends, scarcity of raw material and the
involvement of middle men. However the traditional
value of handloom fabric is increasing for their
uniqueness. Handloom fabric, thus, has a lot of
global demand because of its artistic appeal.

5 English Reader
Fabric (n.) : cloth or other material
Occupation (n.) : a job or profession
Migration (n.) : movement from one region to another
Hank (n.) : coil or yarn bundle
Warp (n.) : vertical thread
Weft (n.) : horizontal thread
Pirn (n.) : a rod onto which weft thread is wound for use in weaving
Radiance (adj.) : glowing brightly or shining
Extension (n.) : stretching out
Knotting (v.) : tying
Enthusiasm (n.) : keen interest
Evidently (adv.) : in a way that is seen or understood
Durability (n.) : permanence
Geometrical (adj.) : decorated with regular lines or shapes
Distinguish (v.) : differentiate or identify
Dobby (n.) : a mechanism attached to a loom for weaving small patterns
Expensive (adj.) : costly

A. Answer the following questions

1. What is the speciality of a Mangalagiri sari?
2. Explain what the warp and the weft are.
3. Why do the weavers perform street-sizing?
4. What problems do the weavers of Mangalagiri face?
5. Are the handloom fabrics expensive? Why?
B. Arrange the following sentences in sequential order and write them in the space
provided.
1. The yarn is kept in the sunlight for drying.
2. The street sizing process is done to make the thread thick and strong.
3. The yarn is boiled and sent for dyeing.
4. The yarn is rolled on an iron rod and fixed on a loom to weave.
5. The yarn bundles are placed on spinning wheel.

Blossoms - 7 6
 ..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

C. Read the following statements and say whether they are true or false.
1. Power looms are more expensive than handlooms. [ ]
2. Warp and weft is an interlacing method of weaving. [ ]
3. Warp refers to horizontal threads on woven cloth. [ ]
4. Nizam border is a unique feature of Mangalagiri saree. [ ]
5. Mangalagiri is a small town in Vijayawada district. [ ]
Correct the false statements and write them here:
1. ....................................................................................................................................
2. ....................................................................................................................................
3. ....................................................................................................................................
4. ....................................................................................................................................
5. ....................................................................................................................................

A. Match the following words denoting their professions or trades.

1. A person who makes pots ( d ) a. tinker
2. A person who weaves fabric ( ) b. sculptor
3. A person who goes from place to
place to mend pots, pans etc., ( ) c. florist
4. A person who makes furniture ( ) d. potter
5. A person who carves stones into idols. ( ) e. carpenter
6. A person who sells flowers ( ) f. weaver

7 English Reader
B. Read the following:
Today I helped my mom in the kitchen. I carefully cut the vegetables and my mom
slowly placed them into a boiling pot of water. Next, mom quickly browned the onions
while I patiently peeled off the potatoes. Immediately, my mom deeply fried the potatoes
also. I eagerly waited for my next job, which was to gently sprinkle spices into the veg-
etable soup. But I accidentally poured too much cumin. I quietly told my mom my mis-
take, and she sweetly told me that, initially, we made such mistakes. Gradually, you
would be out of confusion.

In the above event, there are many words ending in 'ly'. They are adverbs. They are
formed by adding 'ly' to adjectives.
Adjective + ly = adverb
E.g: approximate + ly
Identify the adverbs from the paragraph given above and write them in the space
given.

Look at the following images and make adverbs by adding 'ly'.

One is done for you.

angry
happy great
happily
1. ................. 2. ....................

3. ................. 4. ....................
colour- ly quick 5. ................. 6. ....................
less
7. ................. 8. ....................
beauti- broad
ful
clean

Blossoms - 7 8
C. Let’s learn some idioms to express ‘happiness’.

walking on air

over the moon happy camper

happy

on top of the world jump for joy

have stars in your

eyes

Use these idiomatic expressions in your own sentences. One is done for you.
E.g. I have been over the moon when I got gold medal in the National Athletics.
1. ....................................................................................................................................
2. ....................................................................................................................................
3. ....................................................................................................................................
4. ....................................................................................................................................
5. ....................................................................................................................................

A. Read the following sentences from the text:

One of us enquired, "Sir, what are you doing?"
He replied, "I am weaving a saree on the loom."
Observe the verb in the sentence. It is in present progressive tense. It denotes the 'on going'
actions.
Present continuous tense / Progressive tense
When Mary visits Kavya's home to play, Kavya, her brother Naveen, and her neighbour Bibi are
working in the garden.

9 English Reader
Read the conversation among them.
Mary : Hello! Friends, what are you doing here?
Kavya : I'm digging a pit, Mary.
Naveen : I'm clearing the clay from the pit.
Mary : What are you plucking Bibi ?
Bibi : I'm plucking weeds in the garden.
Mary : Why are you digging the pit?
Kavya : We are planning to grow a rose plant here.
Mary : You are doing a very good job. Keep it up.
You might have noticed the use of present progressive tense in the above conversation.
Look!, Hear!, See!, Watch!, Listen!, etc., are generally used in present continuous tense.
Ex : Look ! I'm drawing .
See ! how the peacock is dancing.
Listen! I'm talking to you.
1. Frame as many sentences as you can from the following table.

I
making
We sweets for me.
cutting
You am/not saree in the room.
weaving
He is/not cloth on handloom.
folding
She are/not water in the pot.
boiling
It English homework.
writing
They

a. ....................................................................................................................................

b. ....................................................................................................................................

c. ....................................................................................................................................

d. ....................................................................................................................................

e. ....................................................................................................................................

Blossoms - 7 10
2. Write meaningful sentences using present continuous tense with the sets of words
given.
a. butterflies- fly- garden ………………………………….....………………….

b. dogs - run - street ………………………………….....………………….

c. baby - crawl- floor ………………………………….....………………….

d. boy - dance - stage ………………………………….....………………….

e. girl - paint - picture ………………………………….....………………….

B. Reported Speech
Look at the following sentences from the lesson.
1. Ramaiah, a weaver, greeted with a smile and replied, "We are street-sizing."
2. He replied, "I am weaving a saree on the loom."
The part of the sentence that is kept within the inverted commas is the sentence actually
spoken by the speaker. So, the above sentences are said to be in Direct Speech.
When the same sentences are told by someone other than the speaker they are said to be
in Indirect speech (Reported Speech)
e.g. 1. Ramaiah, a weaver, greeted with a smile and replied that they were street-sizing.
2. He replied that he was weaving a saree on the loom.
Let's observe the underlined words in the above sentences.
"that" is used as conjunction.
'are' in the sentence (1) has become 'were' and 'am weaving' in the sentence (2) has become
'was weaving'.
Pronoun 'we' in the sentence (1) has become 'they'
'I' in the sentence (2) has become 'he'

Now, read the following conversation and complete the passage that follows.
The weaver: Along with 5 persons, I have to work in each stage to weave a saree.
The students : We are very happy to learn from you.
The weaver told the students _________ along with 5 to 6 persons ______ had to work in each
stage to weave a saree and the students replied him ______ _________were very happy to
learn from him.

11 English Reader
C. Observe the position of the objects/things in the given picture.

Now, Read the following sentences. Tick (3) the suitable preposition.
1. The fridge is between / under the door and the cupboard.
2. The shelf is fixed in / under the hall.
3. The clock is in/on the wall.
4. The chairs are under/ next to the table.
5. The pot is on/in the cooker.

Go through the following invitation card.

Now, prepare an invitation card for a handicraft exhibition cum sale.

(Items of display: handloom fabrics, mats, designing pots, clay dolls, wall hangings etc.,
- 29-7-2021 -10.00 am to 5.30 - free entry- District Handloom Cooperative society-by Homage
to Heritage Association, Andhra Pradesh)

Blossoms - 7 12
1. Role play:
Jaya : Hallo! What are you doing?
Riya : I'm getting ready for the party.
Jaya : Oh! Really, How are you going there? .
Riya : Hmmm! We are going there by car.
Jaya : I see. Are your children coming?
Riya : Yes. They are coming.
Jaya : I am also planning to bring my children.
Riya : Oh! Very nice. Meet you there. Bye.
Language Function:
Here is a conversation between two friends in the classroom.
Raheem : Good morning, Shyam! Are you searching for something?
Shyam : You are right. I am searching for my English note book.
Raheem : You gave it to our English teacher yesterday, didn't you?
Shyam : Oh, My goodness! You have also given your notes, haven't you?
Raheem : Yes, Bobby has given my notes to the teacher, hasn't he??
Shyam : Okay. We shall collect them from our teacher, shan't we?
In the above conversation 'didn't you', 'haven't you', 'hasn't he', 'shan't we' are tag questions.
Tag questions are used to get confirmation.
Eg: Monika is a good girl, isn't she?
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable question tag given in the box.
1. You like chocolates,_______________ ?
2. She is amazing, ________?
3. You can't sing, _____________ ?
4. You are my best friend, ________________?
5. I'm a good boy, ________________?
6. They are reading books, _____________ ?
7. My father doesn't cook well, _____________ ?
8. He wasn't listening, ______________?

13 English Reader
1. Role play:
Jaya : Hallo! What are you doing?
Riya : I'm getting ready for the party.
Jaya : Oh! Really, How are you going there? .
Riya : Hmmm! We are going there by car.
Jaya : I see. Are your children coming?
Riya : Yes. They are coming.
Jaya : I am also planning to bring my children.
Riya : Oh! Very nice. Meet you there. Bye.
Language Function:
Here is a conversation between two friends in the classroom.
Raheem : Good morning, Shyam! Are you searching for something?
Shyam : You are right. I am searching for my English note book.
Raheem : You gave it to our English teacher yesterday, didn't you?
Shyam : Oh, My goodness! You have also given your notes, haven't you?
Raheem : Yes, Bobby has given my notes to the teacher, hasn't he??
Shyam : Okay. We shall collect them from our teacher, shan't we?
In the above conversation 'didn't you', 'haven't you', 'hasn't he', 'shan't we' are tag questions.
Tag questions are used to get confirmation.
Eg: Monika is a good girl, isn't she?
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable question tag given in the box.
1. You like chocolates,_______________ ?
2. She is amazing, ________?
3. You can't sing, _____________ ?
4. You are my best friend, ________________?
5. I'm a good boy, ________________?
6. They are reading books, _____________ ?
7. My father doesn't cook well, _____________ ?
8. He wasn't listening, ______________?

13 English Reader
1. What is the bar diagram about?
2. What is the source of the information?
3. How many financial years are covered?
4. The export value was the highest in ............................
A) 1990-91 B) 2000-01 C) 2002-03
5. The observed trend for exports is ............................
a) always increasing b) always decreasing
c) neither increasing nor decreasing

Design an advertisement for a cloth showroom.

Details to be included:

1. Name of the shop. 2. Items sold.

3. Address and contact information. 4. Tag line.
5. Sale offers (Discounts).

Prepare a door-mat using old

pieces of cloth, wool, fur, coir, etc.
available in your surroundings

15 English Reader
1. What is the bar diagram about?
2. What is the source of the information?
3. How many financial years are covered?
4. The export value was the highest in ............................
A) 1990-91 B) 2000-01 C) 2002-03
5. The observed trend for exports is ............................
a) always increasing b) always decreasing
c) neither increasing nor decreasing

Design an advertisement for a cloth showroom.

Details to be included:

1. Name of the shop. 2. Items sold.

3. Address and contact information. 4. Tag line.
5. Sale offers (Discounts).

Prepare a door-mat using old

pieces of cloth, wool, fur, coir, etc.
available in your surroundings

15 English Reader
Language Game
Fill in the blanks with suitable spellings. One is done for you.
1. –a r t (creative work, skill)
2. –art (portion or piece)
3. ––art (used for drawing a big picture)
4. –––art (a cart that is drawn by an ox)
5. ––––art (starting an engine again)
6. –––––art (beat through cleverness)
7. ––––––art (process of diagram)
8. –––––––art (dearest to heart)

Listen to the following announcement made in an exhibition. Fill in the table given below.

Good evening to everybody. Warm welcome to all of you to this Sunday's special programme.
This is Vamsi welcoming to you all to the Dum Dum Exhibition. The show will be open from 4 p.m to
8 p.m. every day.
The visitors are requested to get their tickets from the counter. It is on the right to the Hallow-
een corner.Each ticket costs Rs. 50/- and a family ticket is Rs. 200/-. There is a refreshment stall
opposite to the ticket counter.
We have some special attractions: a motor cyclist in the well, a giant wheel, performing
parrots, shooting galleries, many handicrafts and handloom fabrics. The show will run only for four
more days. Request all your friends and relatives to visit this exhibiton without fail.

Fill in the table as you listen.

Name of the Exhibition 1. . ...........................

Name of the announcer 2. ...........................

Open between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Duration on each day 3. .......................... hours.

A five member family is likely

4. ........................ ticket costs Rs. ......
to be attracted to buy a ......

Blossoms - 7 16
Weaver = a person who weaves fabric
Halcyon = a tropical Asian and African kingfisher with brightly coloured
plumage
Break of day = early morning
Garment = a single item of clothing
Robe = a long loose outer garment
Fall of night = late in the evening
Veil = a piece of material owned by a woman to protect face
Plume = along soft feather or arrangement of feathers
Solemn = deeply serious
Funeral = a ceremony to honor a deceased person
Shroud = a cloth for the dead
Appreciation:
I. Match the rhyming words and write them in the blanks given:
1. day a. queen
2. wild b. bright
3. night c. gay
4. green d. shroud
5. still e. child
6. cloud f. chill

II. Choose the correct answer:

1. What do the weavers weave in the early morning? ( )
a) a bright blue cloth b) a dull grey cloth
c) a soft white cloth d) a red coloured cloth
2. The ______ is purple and green coloured. ( )
a) dress of the weaver b) dress of the new born child
c) queen's marriage veil d) robe of the king
3. What do the weavers weave in the chilly moon light? ( )
a) a garment light as feather b) a garment meant to cover the dead man
c) a garment to keep away the chill d) a garment to warp a new born child

Blossoms - 7 18
 4. The weavers weave ______ at the fall of night? ( )
a) funeral shroud b) a garment so bright
c) robes of a new born child d) a carpet
5. The bright garment is compared to ______ ( )
a) the stripes of a tiger b) the wing of a parrot
c) the feathers of a peacock d) the rainbow
6. Whom does the poetess address in the poem? ( )
a) the children b) the queen
c) the weavers d) all the above
III. Answer the following questions.
1. Why are the weavers solemn and still?
2. What are the three events of life depicted in the poem?
3. Pick out the three types of cloth in the poem.
4. Why is white coloured cloth used for the funeral?
5. What colours do the weavers weave for the queen's veil?

On my With With
Check points own friends’ help teachers’
help
I was able to read the main reading text.

I was able to use the glossary given.

I was able to do the vocabulary tasks.

I was able to do the grammar exercise.

I was able to do the writing tasks.

I was able to perform different functions in

English language.

I was able to do the project work.

I got the central idea of the poem.

I was able to enjoy the poem.

19 English Reader
 Mahasweta Devi

Look at the pictures and answer the following questions

1) Do you know the athlete?

2) What do you mean by 'Beti Padhao Beti Bachao'?
3) Name some famous women personalities.
4) Talk about any girl child of high achievement.
Let's read about a narrator's experience with a girl child of 10 from the North-
Eastern states of India, who has illiterate parents and no formal schooling. Yet, the girl
is very smart enough to know the reasons for everything happens in and around her.
She never hesitates to ask 'why'….

Blossoms - 7 20
 The Why - Why Girl

"But why?"
The question came from a small girl, about ten years old. Moyna was chasing a large snake.
I ran after her, grabbed her plait and shouted, "No, Moyna, don't!"
"Why shouldn't I?'' asked Moyna.
"It's not a grass snake nor a rat snake. It's a cobra, said I. Then question came from her,
"Why shouldn't I catch a cobra? We eat snakes, the head you chop off, the skin you sell, the meat
you cook."
"Yes, but don't do it this time" I said.
"But why?" She asked.
I dragged her back to the Samiti office where I worked. Moyna's mother, Khiri was there
weaving a basket. The Samiti was a place where people could come to learn to read and write,
or simply sing and dance together.
"Come and rest for a little while." I said to Moyna.
"Why?" said Moyna.
"Aren't you tired?" I asked. Moyna shook her head vigorously. "Who will bring the Babu's
goats home? And collect firewood and fetch water lay the trap for the birds?" came Moyna's
questions one after another.
"Moyna, don't forget to thank Babu for the rice he sent us," said Khiri.
"Why should I? Didn't I sweep the cowshed and do a thousand jobs for him? Did he ever
thank me? Why should I thank him" Moyna ran off saying so.
Khiri shook her head and said, "Never saw a child like this. All she keeps saying is 'why'.
No wonder the village postmaster calls her the Why - Why girl."

* 1. Do you have any pet name?

2. Mention at least five pet names that are popular in your area.

21 English Reader
 "I like her", said I.
"She's so obstinate and unyielding." Khiri retorted. "Just won't give in".
Moyna was a Sabar. The Sabars were a poor and landless tribal group.The other Sabars
never complained but Moyna' questions were endless - "Why do I have to walk miles to the river for
water? Why do we live in a leaf hut? Why can't we eat rice twice a day?"
Moyna tended the goats of the village landlords or Babus, but she was neither humble nor
grateful to her employers. She did her work and came home. "Why should I eat their leftovers? I will
cook delicious meal with green leaves a rice, crabs and chilli powder", she said The Sabars did not
usually send their daughters to work. But Moyna had to work because her mother had a bad leg and
her father had gone to faraway Jamshedpur in search of work. She also went to the forest every day
with her brother, Goro, to collect firewood.

* 1. Are there any children in your surroundings who work for others?
2. Mention some fields where we see children working?

That October, I stayed in the village for a month. One morning, Moyna declared that she
would move in with me. "
'No" Khiri said.
"Why not? It's a big hut. How much space does an old woman need?" Moyna said, referring
to me.
And she came with one change of clothes and a baby mongoose. "It eats very little and chases
away the bad snakes. The good ones, I will catch and give to mother. She makes lovely snake curry.
I'll bring some for you."
Malati, our Samiti teacher, told me, 'She'll exhaust you with her whys and she did - "Why do I
have to graze the Babus goats? His sons can do it themselves. Why can't the fish speak? Why do
stars look so small if many of them are bigger than the Sun?"
One night she asked me, "Why do you read books before you go to sleep?"
"Because books have the answers to your whys!" I replied. Moyna was silent for once she
completed all her work, came up to me and said, "I will learn to read and find the answers to my
questions."
When Moyna grazed the goats she told the other children all that she had learned from me.
"Many stars are bigger than the Sun but they live far away, so they look small. The Sun is nearer. The
fish have a silent language. The earth is round, did you know that?"

Blossoms - 7 22
 When I returned to the village a year later, the first thing I heard was Moyna's voice. "Why is
the school closed?" she questioned Malati, dragging along the bleating goat. Why shouldn't I study
too?" asked Moyna.
'Who's stopping you?' School is over for the day. You know, Moyna, I take the class from
9 to 11 in the morning,' said Malati.
Moyna stomped her feet and said, "Why can't you change the hours? I have to graze Babu's
goats in the morning. I can only come after eleven. If you don't teach, how will I learn? If you don't
change the hours, none of us, goatherds and cowherds, can come.'
She saw me and fled with her goat.
I went to Moyna's hut in the evening. Nestling close to the kitchen fire, Moyna was
telling her little sister and elder brother, "You cut one tree and plant another two. You wash
your hands before you eat, do you know why? You'll get stomach pain if you don't. If you
attend classes at Samiti, you will know all these."
Who do you think was the first girl to be admitted to the village primary school? It was
Moyna.
Moyna is eighteen now. She teaches at the Samiti school. If you pass the school you're
sure to hear an impatient, demanding voice - "Don't be lazy. Ask me questions. Ask me why
mosquitoes should be destroyed, Why the pole star is always in the north sky……..?.'

* 1. Is it right Moyna expecting thanks from the landlord?

2. Are you curious like Moyna? Why?

And the other children too are learning to ask 'why'. Moyna doesn't know I'm writing
her story. If she did, she'd say, "Writing about me? Why?"

About the Author:

Mahasweta Devi was an Indian writer in Bengali and an
activist. She was born on 14th Jan 1926. Her notable literary
works include Rudali, Aranyer and Adhikar. She raised issues of
politics, gender and class. She was honoured with Sahitya Academy
Award, Jnanpith Award, Padma Vibhushan, Banga Bibhushan and
Ramon Magasaysay Award. She died on 28th July 2016. The
Why-Why Girl is her first picture book beautifully illustrated by
Kanyika Kini.

23 English Reader
Chasing (v) : pursuing or following someone or something to catch
Dragged (v) : pulled along forcefully
Vigorously (adj) : energetic and lively
Obstinate (adj) : stubborn, refusing to change one's opinion
Unyielding (adj) : not giving way to pressure
Sabar (n) : a group of tribes in Odisha and West Bengal
Tended (v) : took care of something or someone
Exhaust (v) : make (some one) feel tired
Retorted (v) : said something in anger or in a witty manner
Bleat (n) : wavering cry made by a sheep or goat
Impatient (adj) : showing a tendency to be quickly irritated

A. Answer the following questions.

1. Why was Moyna called 'The why-why girl?

2. What did the people do at the Samiti office?

3. What work did Moyna do for her family?

4. What kind of a girl was Moyna?

5. Name someone like Moyna in your surroundings.

6. Do you like Moyna ? Why?

B. State whether the given statements are true or false. Write 'T' for True and 'F' for
False.
1. The people in Moyna's tribe eat snakes. ( )
2. The author did not like Moyna. ( )
3. It is very easy to persuade Moyna. ( )
4. Moyna knew that the author was writing her story. ( )
5. Moyna had to fetch water from the far off river. ( )

Blossoms - 7 24
Chasing (v) : pursuing or following someone or something to catch
Dragged (v) : pulled along forcefully
Vigorously (adj) : energetic and lively
Obstinate (adj) : stubborn, refusing to change one's opinion
Unyielding (adj) : not giving way to pressure
Sabar (n) : a group of tribes in Odisha and West Bengal
Tended (v) : took care of something or someone
Exhaust (v) : make (some one) feel tired
Retorted (v) : said something in anger or in a witty manner
Bleat (n) : wavering cry made by a sheep or goat
Impatient (adj) : showing a tendency to be quickly irritated

A. Answer the following questions.

1. Why was Moyna called 'The why-why girl?

2. What did the people do at the Samiti office?

3. What work did Moyna do for her family?

4. What kind of a girl was Moyna?

5. Name someone like Moyna in your surroundings.

6. Do you like Moyna ? Why?

B. State whether the given statements are true or false. Write 'T' for True and 'F' for
False.
1. The people in Moyna's tribe eat snakes. ( )
2. The author did not like Moyna. ( )
3. It is very easy to persuade Moyna. ( )
4. Moyna knew that the author was writing her story. ( )
5. Moyna had to fetch water from the far off river. ( )

Blossoms - 7 24
C. PHRASAL VERBS
You have come across the following phrases from the lesson.
1. I ran after her, grabbed her plait and held her back.
2. She just won't give in.
3. Her father had gone off to far away Jamshedpur in search of work.
4. Moyna declared that she would move in with me.
5. If you pass by, you are sure to hear her impatient demanding voice.
In sentence 1, the phrase ran after is a combination of the verb 'ran' and the adverb
'after'. Here run after means to chase or pursue.
Ex. I ran after the bus, but it did not stop for me.
In sentence 2, give in is a combination of the verb 'give' and the preposition 'in'.
Give in means stop competing or arguing and accept defeat.
The other phrasal verbs from the text are
Fill in the blanks with the suitable phrasal verbs given .
pass by move in give in run after go off

1. Latha's father refused to send her to the picnic but when she requested for many times
he.......................... and sent her.

2. Why do dogs .............................................. cats?

3. You will smell the fragrance of the night queen when you ........................ our garden.

4. Our family ................................ to the new house once it was white washed.

5. Electricity has .......................... in my area.

A. ‘Wh’ Questions
Look at the following sentences from the text.
a. Why do we live in a leaf hut?
b. How much space does one old woman need?

Blossoms - 7 26
 Types of Wh - questions

Whom
How What

Whose
? Who

Which When
Where

The underlined words are used to ask questions.

Now read the story once again and list out questions from the story.
1. .......................................................................................................................
2. .......................................................................................................................
3. .......................................................................................................................
4. .......................................................................................................................
5. .......................................................................................................................

B. Rearrange the words to make meaningful 'Wh' questions. Remember to use a capital
letter to start a question and end with a question mark (?)
Ex. did / eat / what / you / yesterday?
Ans: What did you eat yesterday?

1. is / the Father / who / of / our Nation?

..................................................................................................
2. subject / which / your / is / favourite?
..................................................................................................
3. is / where / working / Sultan?
..................................................................................................
4. do / you / when / wake up?
..................................................................................................
5. project / will / whose / get / the / prize?
..................................................................................................

27 English Reader
C. Read the sentence given below. Frame wh - questions to get the underlined word as
your answer.
Sangeetha planted a mango sapling in her backyard on her birthday because she
loved mangoes.
Ex. Who planted a mango sapling? Ans. Sangeetha
1. .................................................................
2. .................................................................
3. .................................................................
4. .................................................................
5. .................................................................
B. Using 'If Clause'.
Read the sentence from the text.
1. If you attend classes at Samiti, you will get to know all these things.
In the given sentence, the clause 'If you attend the Samiti' expresses the condition.
The main clause 'you will know all these' tells about the effect or result of the condition.
Rread the following sentences also.
2. If you are hungry, I will get you something to eat.
3. I will attend the party if she invites me.

Points to remember
i The condition introduced by ‘if’ expresses a real possibility in future.
ii. If the verb in the ‘if clause’ is in the present tense, the main clause takes will+ verb.
iii. ‘If clause’ can be placed either before or after the main clause.
iv. When the ‘if clause’ comes before the main clause, a comma is used after the ‘if’ clause.
When the ‘if’ clause comes after the main clause, a comma should not be used.

Complete the following sentences using appropriate clause.

1. If you are good at English, ......................................................... (get better job)
2. If you ask the teacher, ............................................................................ (clarify your doubts)
3. .................................................................., you will get pink colour. (mix red and white)

Blossoms - 7 28
4. If you dial 1098, the child helpline ............................................................. (help you)
5. ................................................................, it will bite you. (pull the dog's tail)
In the above sentences we find 'if clause' before the 'main clause'. We can write the
sentences by interchanging their positions also. One is done for you.
1. You will get a better job if you are good at English.
2. .................................................................................................
3. .................................................................................................
4. .................................................................................................
5. .................................................................................................

A. Work in groups. Develop a script for the story 'The Why -Why Girl' to present in
the form of a drama.
B. Conventions of Writing.
Rewrite the following using appropriate punctuation marks.
aren't you tired i asked moyna shook her head vigorously. who will bring the babu's goats
home and collect firewood and fetch water and lay the trap for the birds came moyna's
questions one after another.

Language Function: Giving Directions :

Role play the following conversation.
Sowmya : Excuse me! Can you tell me the way to museum?
Ramya : Go straight. At the traffic lights, turn right. Go along the street. Walk past the park.
Sowmya : Shall I reach the museum?
Ramya : Certainly. If you go fifty meters ahead of the park, you will be there.
Sowmya : Great! Thanks for your help.
Ramya : You are welcome.

29 English Reader
 Language Functions to give Directions
Go straight...
Turn left / right at the junction / traffic lights
Go past…
Go over the junction…
Go along the road until…
The… is on your left / right.
It's opposite…
It's next to…
It's in between… and…

A. Collect information about any successful woman in your district and write a paragraph
about her. Cover the following points.

Name
Place
Field in which she is famous
Interesting facts about her
Collect photos & News paper clippings

Listen to the story and answer the questions.

The Camel and The Baby

One day, a camel and her baby were chatting. The baby asked, "Mother, why do we have
humps?' The mother replied, "Our humps are for storing water so that we survive in the desert."
"Oh!" said the child, "and why do we have rounded feet mother?" The mother repllied, that is
"because they are meant to help us walk comfortably in the desert. These legs help us move around
in the sand."

Blossoms - 7 30
 The baby asked, "Alright. But why are our eyelashes so long?" "To protect our eyes from the
desert dust and sand. They are the protective covers for the eyes", replied the mother camel.
The baby camel thought for a while and said, "So we have humps to store water for desert
journeys, rounded hooves to keep us comfortable when we walk in the desert sand, and long eye-
lashes to protect us from sand and dust during a desert storm. Then what are we doing in zoo???"
The mother was dumbfounded.
Questions:
1. Who are the characters in the story?
2. Where do camels usually live?
3. The camels in the story are in ....................... ( )
(a) a desert (b) a zoo (c) a village
4. The humps of the camels help in ....................... ( )
(a) storing food (b) storing water (c) walking through the desert.
5. The camel's long eyelashes protect them from ...............................
(a) dust (b) sand (c) dust and sand

A. Riddle:
1. I act like a cat. 2. I can fly but
I look like a cat. I have no wings
Yet I am not a cat. I can cry but
What am I? I have no eyes
Ans: The kitten What am I?
Ans: Cloud

Read the data given in the table and answer the given question:
Reasons for dropouts among children aged 5 -14 years ( 1997-98)
Rural Percent Urban Percent
Reasons for Dropouts
Male Female Total Male Female Total
Child not interested in studies 14.8 22.4 37.2 15.5 19.2 34.7
To work for daily wages 1.8 0.7 2.5 2.5 1.1 3.6
Attend to domestic work 1.1 2.6 3.7 2.2 2.7 4.9
Financial constraints 7.1 4.1 11.2 6.6 9.2 15.8
Other reasons 3.2 4.2 7.4 4.2 6.5 10.7
Source: Ministry of Human Resource development

31 English Reader
1. What is the table about?
Ans. .......................................................
2. What is the major reason for dropouts in urban areas?
Ans. .......................................................
3. What is the total percentage of dropouts in urban areas due to financial ( )
constraints?
a) 15.8 b) 11.2 c) 34.7
4. Which reason is the less significant for dropouts? ( )
a) Financial constrains b) to work for daily wages c) other reasons
5. What is the total percentage of dropouts due to other reason in rural areas? ( )
a) 3.2 b) 4.2 c) 7.4

BE THE BEST OF WHATEVER YOU ARE

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley - but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!
Douglas Malloch

Blossoms - 7 32
1. What is the table about?
Ans. .......................................................
2. What is the major reason for dropouts in urban areas?
Ans. .......................................................
3. What is the total percentage of dropouts in urban areas due to financial ( )
constraints?
a) 15.8 b) 11.2 c) 34.7
4. Which reason is the less significant for dropouts? ( )
a) Financial constrains b) to work for daily wages c) other reasons
5. What is the total percentage of dropouts due to other reason in rural areas? ( )
a) 3.2 b) 4.2 c) 7.4

BE THE BEST OF WHATEVER YOU ARE

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley - but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!
Douglas Malloch

Blossoms - 7 32
 About the Author
Douglas Malloch (May 5, 1877 - July 2, 1938) was an
American poet, short-story writer and Associate Editor of
American Lumberman, a trade paper in Chicago. He was known
as a "Lumberman's poet" both locally and nationally. He is noted
for writing Round River Drive and "Be the Best of Whatever
You Are" in addition to many other creations. He wrote many
poems like 'A Man', 'Ain't I fine today?', etc.
ch
Douglas Mallo

Scrub = bush
Rill = streamlet
Muskie = a species of fish found in North America (big in size)
Bass = shared by many species of fish (black basses, Asian basses, etc.)
Crew = staff
Comprehension :
A. Choose the correct options to complete the sentences
1. If you can't be a pine tree, be a .......................... ( )
a) rill b) hill c) scrub
2. If you can't be a tree, be a .......................... ( )
a) bush b) branch c) flower
3. If you can't be the .........................., be the crew. ( )
a) leader b) officer c) captain
4. What is less important? ( )
a) no job b) all the jobs c) only some jobs
5. The poet wants us to be the .......................... of whatever job/work we do ( )
a) hardworking b) honest c) best
B. Answer the following questions:
1. What kind of a scrub one must be, if one can't be a pine tree?
2. What does the poet suggest to become if we can't be the Sun?

33 English Reader
Look at the pictures and answer the questions that follow.

1. Identify and name the animals in the picture.

2. Do you have any pet animals?
3. Have you ever felt their love and affection? How?
4. Do you think our pet animals too miss us when we are away? Discuss.
5. How are the pet animals similar and different from the domestic animals?
Let's read about the story of a sloth bear who happened to be a loving and playful
pet of a woman and how the bond of love for each other is established.

35 English Reader
 The Bond of Love

I will begin with Bruno, my wife's pet sloth bear. I got him for her by accident. Two years
ago, we were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore. People were driving away the
wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them. Some were shot and some escaped. We thought
that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. One
of my companions shot the bear on the spot.
As we watched the fallen animal, we were surprised to see that the black fur on its
back moved. It was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother's back. The little creature ran
around its parent making a pitiful noise.
I ran up to it to capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. I finally caught the baby
bear by holding it in its scruff while it snapped and tried to scratch me with its long, hooked
claws.
We put it in one of the gunny-bags we had brought. When I got back to Bangalore,
I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She at once put a coloured ribbon around
its neck, and after discovering the cub was a 'boy' she named it Bruno.
Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. Within a very few days he started
eating and drinking everything else. Everything is the right word, for he ate porridge made from
many ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat, curry, rice, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pud-
ding, ice-cream, etc. He also started drinking milk, tea, coffee, lime-juice, aerated water, butter-
milk and, in fact, any liquid.

Blossoms - 7 36
 The Bond of Love

I will begin with Bruno, my wife's pet sloth bear. I got him for her by accident. Two years
ago, we were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore. People were driving away the
wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them. Some were shot and some escaped. We thought
that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. One
of my companions shot the bear on the spot.
As we watched the fallen animal, we were surprised to see that the black fur on its
back moved. It was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother's back. The little creature ran
around its parent making a pitiful noise.
I ran up to it to capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. I finally caught the baby
bear by holding it in its scruff while it snapped and tried to scratch me with its long, hooked
claws.
We put it in one of the gunny-bags we had brought. When I got back to Bangalore,
I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She at once put a coloured ribbon around
its neck, and after discovering the cub was a 'boy' she named it Bruno.
Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. Within a very few days he started
eating and drinking everything else. Everything is the right word, for he ate porridge made from
many ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat, curry, rice, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pud-
ding, ice-cream, etc. He also started drinking milk, tea, coffee, lime-juice, aerated water, butter-
milk and, in fact, any liquid.

Blossoms - 7 36
 Friends said that the bear
would not recognise her. I had
thought so too. But while she was
yet some yards from his cage, Baba
saw her and recognised her. He
howled with happiness. She ran up
to him and petted him through the
bars.
For the next three hours, she
did not leave that cage. She gave
him tea, lemonade, cakes, ice
cream and what not. Then closing
time' came and we had to leave. My wife cried bitterly; Baba cried bitterly; even the hardened
curator and the keepers felt depressed.
"Oh please, sir," she asked the curator, "may I have my Baba back"? He answered,
"Madam, he belongs to the zoo and is government property now. I cannot give away government
property. But if the superintendent at Bangalore agrees, certainly you may have him back."
We went to the superintendent in Bangalore. My wife pleaded, "Baba and I are missing each
other. Will you please give him back to me?" He was a kind-hearted person. He wrote to the curator
telling him to lend us a cage for transporting the bear to Bangalore.
We went to Mysore again with the superintendent's letter. Baba was driven into a small
cage and hoisted on top of the car; the cage was tied securely, and carried to Bangalore.
Once home, a squad of coolies made an island for Baba. It was surrounded by a dry pit.
A wooden box was brought and put on the island for Baba to sleep in at night. Straw was
placed inside to keep him warm, and his 'baby' and 'gun', was put back for him to play with.
In a few days, the coolies hoisted the cage on to the island and Baba was released. He
was delighted; standing on his hind legs; he pointed his 'gun' and cradled his 'baby'. My wife
spent hours sitting on a chair there while he sat on her lap. He was fifteen months old and
pretty heavy too! Who can say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and
no emotions?
- Kenneth Anderson (Abridged)

Blossoms - 7 38
 Friends said that the bear
would not recognise her. I had
thought so too. But while she was
yet some yards from his cage, Baba
saw her and recognised her. He
howled with happiness. She ran up
to him and petted him through the
bars.
For the next three hours, she
did not leave that cage. She gave
him tea, lemonade, cakes, ice
cream and what not. Then closing
time' came and we had to leave. My wife cried bitterly; Baba cried bitterly; even the hardened
curator and the keepers felt depressed.
"Oh please, sir," she asked the curator, "may I have my Baba back"? He answered,
"Madam, he belongs to the zoo and is government property now. I cannot give away government
property. But if the superintendent at Bangalore agrees, certainly you may have him back."
We went to the superintendent in Bangalore. My wife pleaded, "Baba and I are missing each
other. Will you please give him back to me?" He was a kind-hearted person. He wrote to the curator
telling him to lend us a cage for transporting the bear to Bangalore.
We went to Mysore again with the superintendent's letter. Baba was driven into a small
cage and hoisted on top of the car; the cage was tied securely, and carried to Bangalore.
Once home, a squad of coolies made an island for Baba. It was surrounded by a dry pit.
A wooden box was brought and put on the island for Baba to sleep in at night. Straw was
placed inside to keep him warm, and his 'baby' and 'gun', was put back for him to play with.
In a few days, the coolies hoisted the cage on to the island and Baba was released. He
was delighted; standing on his hind legs; he pointed his 'gun' and cradled his 'baby'. My wife
spent hours sitting on a chair there while he sat on her lap. He was fifteen months old and
pretty heavy too! Who can say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and
no emotions?
- Kenneth Anderson (Abridged)

Blossoms - 7 38
 3. "We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved."
(i) Who does 'we all' stand for?
(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they feel relieved?
4. What did Bruno eat in the library? What happened to him?
5. Do you think Bruno was a loving and a playful pet? Why?
6. How was the problem of keeping Bruno at home finally solved?

B. State whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Bruno was a loving and playful pet animal. ( )
2. The zoo superintendent did not allow the narrator's wife to take ( )
Bruno back home.
3. The 'baby' of Baba was a stump of wood. ( )
4. The chemical that Bruno ate in the library was barium chloride. ( )
5. Bruno was sent to Bangalore zoo. ( )
C. Read the following sentences and put them in the order of their occurrence in the story.
His wife named the baby bear Bruno.
The narrator and his wife visited the zoo in Mysore.
The narrator brought a baby bear home. 1
Bruno ate rat poison and was treated by a vet.
Bruno was sent to Mysore zoo.
The narrator and his wife pleaded with the zoo superintendent to give
them back Bruno.
They started calling him Baba.
Bruno came back home and continued living with the narrator's
home on a special island.
Baba was overjoyed and stood on his head.
Both the narrator's wife and Baba missed each other.

Blossoms - 7 40
A. Dictionary Activities
1. Consult the dictionary and fill in the missing letters with 'ei'or'ie'
1. Mischievous 6. R _ _ gn
2. Hyg _ _ ne 7. Pat _ _ nce
3. Ingred _ _ nts 8. Sl _ _ gh
4. F_ _ lds 9. V _ _ n
5. Pr_ _st 10. W _ _ gh
Note:
1. Achieve, believe, thief, pierce (In general 'i' occurs before 'e')
2. ceiling, receive, conceive, deceive (After 'c', 'e' occurs before 'i')
3. Neighbour, weight (Based on the sound 'AY')
2. Spell Check: Put a tick '4' mark for the right one and '5' for the wrong one.

S.No. Words Tick / Cross

1 ingredients
2 forfeit
3 decieve
4 caffeine
5 greif

B. Collective Nouns
Read the following sentences from text.
Once home, a squad of coolies made an island for Baba.
In the above sentence, notice the words in bold letters. 'squad' is a collective noun which
means a group of people having a particular task.
A collective noun refers to a group of things. For example, a herd of elephants, a pack of
cards, a flock of birds, etc.,

41 English Reader
A. Dictionary Activities
1. Consult the dictionary and fill in the missing letters with 'ei'or'ie'
1. Mischievous 6. R _ _ gn
2. Hyg _ _ ne 7. Pat _ _ nce
3. Ingred _ _ nts 8. Sl _ _ gh
4. F_ _ lds 9. V _ _ n
5. Pr_ _st 10. W _ _ gh
Note:
1. Achieve, believe, thief, pierce (In general 'i' occurs before 'e')
2. ceiling, receive, conceive, deceive (After 'c', 'e' occurs before 'i')
3. Neighbour, weight (Based on the sound 'AY')
2. Spell Check: Put a tick '4' mark for the right one and '5' for the wrong one.

S.No. Words Tick / Cross

1 ingredients
2 forfeit
3 decieve
4 caffeine
5 greif

B. Collective Nouns
Read the following sentences from text.
Once home, a squad of coolies made an island for Baba.
In the above sentence, notice the words in bold letters. 'squad' is a collective noun which
means a group of people having a particular task.
A collective noun refers to a group of things. For example, a herd of elephants, a pack of
cards, a flock of birds, etc.,

41 English Reader
 There are three positions of adverbs.
1. At the beginning
a. Tomorrow, we have a yoga class.
b. Surely, I'll help you.
2. In the middle
a. He seldom makes a mistake.
b. We often go to temple.
3. At the end
a. Children played happily.
b. She danced gracefully.
4. Rewrite the sentences by placing the adverbs in the appropriate place. One is
done for you.
Eg : Radhi never can walk fast.
Radhi can never walk fast.
1. They will visit the zoo certainly.
2. We go on a picnic usually.
3. You baked well the cake.
4. Your decisions are correct absolutely
5. Get quickly my bag.
6. She was praised by all well.
7. We speak truth always.
8. The boy harshly talked to his friend.
9. He talks often to me.
10. Seldom Reeta completes her work on time.
B. Voice
Read the following sentences from the text.
1) An island was made for Baba
2) Baba ate everything
Notice the 'subjects' and the 'action words' in the sentences above.

43 English Reader
 Is the subject the doer of
Sentence Subject Action word the action?
1 An island was made No

2 Baba ate Yes

After studying the table, we can say that in sentence '1' the subject is not doing the action
'make' and in sentence '2' the subject is doing the action 'eat'.
If the subject is the doer of the action we say the sentence is in active voice and if the subject
is not the doer of the action the sentence is in passive form.
So here sentence '1' is in passive voice and '2' in active.
Let's see how imperative sentences are written in passive form.
The imperative sentences can be written in passive voice in the following way.
Active : Do it at once.
Passive : Let it be done at once.
Active : Open the door.
Passive : Let the door be opened.
Active : Do not beat the bench.
Passive : Let the bench not be beaten.
Change the following into passive voice
1. Bring a glass of water. ...............................................................
2. Do not pick the paper. ...............................................................
3. Give him the book. ...............................................................
4. Do not write the questions. ...............................................................
5. Do not waste water. ...............................................................
6. Plant more saplings on either side of the road. ...............................................................

A. Guided conversation
In the story 'The Bond of Love', you have read how the narrator's wife pleaded with the zoo
superintendent to give her Baba back. The conversation given below is incomplete. Sit in pairs
and complete it.
Narrator's wife : Hello, sir. I am here to request for a favour.
Superintendent : Hello, Madam! What can __________________?

Blossoms - 7 44
 Narrator's wife : Bruno is ___________. I ______________
So, I want to take Bruno back home.
Superintendent : I'm sorry ma'am. I can not allow you to take him. You have left Bruno
under ____________________so, Bruno is now ___________. We can't
give him back.
Narrator's wife : Sir, Bruno is not taking food. He is growing ______
So please allow ________________
Superintendent : Yes! Alright, Madam.! please write a letter and __________
Narrator's wife : ____________________

B. Pair work
Now write a conversation on your own, imagining that your friend and you are the Narrator
and his wife. The wife is pleading with him to take her to the zoo where Bruno is kept. See that
you add proper punctuation, interjections like oh, ah, hurrah, etc., Remember to keep your
sentences short.

Now, sit in groups of four and enact the conversation before the class with proper intonation.

Language Functions
In the guided conversation under writing 'A', you can notice 'I'm sorry' and 'Yes! Alright'
tell us that one can easily decline or accept the requests in a polite manner. Here are some
examples for you to make these language functions easy.

Accepting the request Denying the request

Yes! Alright. No, thank you.
Sure, thank you. I'm sorry, I can't allow…
That's a good idea. That sounds great, but I can't . . .
Yes, let's do it. I'm honoured, but I …
Let's go for it. I like it, but I can't do it now.
That would be nice… It's very kind of you, but …
Sounds great/ good. Thanks a lot, but I can't …

45 English Reader
Listen to the story and answer the questions that follow by ticking the correct option.
Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent animals. They display culture, affection, care and emo-
tions like humans. They have several highly developed forms of communication. They have a "signa-
ture whistle" which allows other individuals to recognise them. Dolphins are unselfish animals.
They are known to stay and help injured individuals, even helping them to the surface to breath.
They also help other water animals. There are many instances of dolphins helping humans and even
whales. Dolphins are social animals. They live in groups and co-operate with each other to get food
and in raising the calves, their young ones. Dolphins are extremely playful and curious animals.
They play-fight with each other and also play with seaweed. Do you know dolphins can jump as high
as 20 feet out of the water!
Questions:
1. What do dolphins do to make them recognize the other dolphins? ( )
a. wags the tail b. signature whistles c. jump up above water
2. According to the passage dolphins are ( )
a. intelligent and playful b. intelligent and selfish c. cruel
3. There are instances of dolphins helping _______ and ________. ( )
a. birds and sharks b. ships and boats c. humans and whales
4. What are the young ones of dolphins called? ( )
a. cubs b. calves c. babies
5. How high can a dolphin jump out of water? ( )
a. as high as 30 feet b. as high as 5 feet c. as high as 20 feet

Visit your neighbourhood and know how many of your neighbours have pet animals at home.
Fill in the table given below.
Where do they
Name of the Pet Name of Type of food What game
S.No leave the pet when
neighbour animal the pet they feed their pets
they go for long
animal their pet like to play
tours

Blossoms - 7 46
Listen to the story and answer the questions that follow by ticking the correct option.
Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent animals. They display culture, affection, care and emo-
tions like humans. They have several highly developed forms of communication. They have a "signa-
ture whistle" which allows other individuals to recognise them. Dolphins are unselfish animals.
They are known to stay and help injured individuals, even helping them to the surface to breath.
They also help other water animals. There are many instances of dolphins helping humans and even
whales. Dolphins are social animals. They live in groups and co-operate with each other to get food
and in raising the calves, their young ones. Dolphins are extremely playful and curious animals.
They play-fight with each other and also play with seaweed. Do you know dolphins can jump as high
as 20 feet out of the water!
Questions:
1. What do dolphins do to make them recognize the other dolphins? ( )
a. wags the tail b. signature whistles c. jump up above water
2. According to the passage dolphins are ( )
a. intelligent and playful b. intelligent and selfish c. cruel
3. There are instances of dolphins helping _______ and ________. ( )
a. birds and sharks b. ships and boats c. humans and whales
4. What are the young ones of dolphins called? ( )
a. cubs b. calves c. babies
5. How high can a dolphin jump out of water? ( )
a. as high as 30 feet b. as high as 5 feet c. as high as 20 feet

Visit your neighbourhood and know how many of your neighbours have pet animals at home.
Fill in the table given below.
Where do they
Name of the Pet Name of Type of food What game
S.No leave the pet when
neighbour animal the pet they feed their pets
they go for long
animal their pet like to play
tours

Blossoms - 7 46
nine years, nine months and fifteen days.
Hachiko would wait at the station patiently.
People took a notice of this adorable dog.
Hachiko gained national attention. He became
the headline of the newspaper. On October 4,
1932 one of the students of the Professor
published a story.
The story's headline read: "Tale of a
Poor Old Dog: Patiently Waiting for Seven
Years for the Dead Owner." Hachiko waited
for his master for almost ten years and died
at the age of thirteen. He was buried next to Professor Ueno. The story of Hachiko's love and loyalty
towards his master made the Japanese build a bronze statue for Hachiko at the same railway station
where he used to wait for his master.

Akita (n) - a large breed of dog from Japan

Cerebral hemorrhage (n) - bleeding in the brain
Adorable (adj) - lovable

Answer the following questions

1. Who was Hachiko?
2. How was Hachiko when he arrived to the professor's house?
3. Where would Hachiko accompany the professor every day?
a) to the university
b) to the railway station
c) to the river
4. What happened to the Professor one day?
5. Where did Hachiko wait for the Professor? How long did he wait for his master?
6. How did Japanese pay their tribute to Hachiko?

Blossoms - 7 48
nine years, nine months and fifteen days.
Hachiko would wait at the station patiently.
People took a notice of this adorable dog.
Hachiko gained national attention. He became
the headline of the newspaper. On October 4,
1932 one of the students of the Professor
published a story.
The story's headline read: "Tale of a
Poor Old Dog: Patiently Waiting for Seven
Years for the Dead Owner." Hachiko waited
for his master for almost ten years and died
at the age of thirteen. He was buried next to Professor Ueno. The story of Hachiko's love and loyalty
towards his master made the Japanese build a bronze statue for Hachiko at the same railway station
where he used to wait for his master.

Akita (n) - a large breed of dog from Japan

Cerebral hemorrhage (n) - bleeding in the brain
Adorable (adj) - lovable

Answer the following questions

1. Who was Hachiko?
2. How was Hachiko when he arrived to the professor's house?
3. Where would Hachiko accompany the professor every day?
a) to the university
b) to the railway station
c) to the river
4. What happened to the Professor one day?
5. Where did Hachiko wait for the Professor? How long did he wait for his master?
6. How did Japanese pay their tribute to Hachiko?

Blossoms - 7 48
 On my With With
Check points own friends’ help teachers’ help

I was able to read the main reading text.

I got the main idea of the passage.

I was able to use the glossary given.

I was able to do the vocabulary tasks

I was able to do the grammar task.

I was able to do the writing task.

I was able to perform different language

functions in English.

I was able to listen to and respond to the

story narrated / read by my teacher.

I was able to collect data from my

neighbourhood and write report on the
same.

I was able to enjoy the fun-time.

I was able to read the story given under

"Read it yourself" and answer the
questions given under it.

49 English Reader
 Gurajada - The Legend

“Never does land, mean clay and sand

The people, the people, they are the land.”

The legendary lines are the translation of Gurajada’s ‘Desabhakthi’ by Sri Sri Gurajada. It
shows that he was the harbinger of the modern era Telugu literature. He was a reformer of many
scholars, writers and historians have
praised him as a revolutionary in his
thought. He brought out bloodless
revolution in both the literary and social
spheres. He revolutionized theme and
treatment, he rescued language from the
learned and gave it back to people, the
ultimate creators of language. He looked
ahead of his time, with a broad vision.

Having strong faith in spoken Telugu,

Gurajada in a letter to one of his disciples
opined, “My cause is the cause of the people and I have cultured opinion at my back. I do not mind
the people who fight against me without understanding the issue. Their conversion can do no good to
the language. They are so hopelessly wedded to the old, highly artificial literary dialect.”

Gurajada was naturally an artist. He

viewed the world with a painter’s brush and
writer’s creative pen. Through his artistic work
he wakes up the reader to fight the social evils.
But his social views and his personality reflect
abundantly in his work. He said, “I paint life
artistically, idealizing of course. Though art is
my master I have a duty to society.”

51 English Reader
 His dream and vision were of a new social system. His attitude towards women’s education,
social equality and widow re-marriages are all surprisingly modern.
The year 1911 is significant in the history of modern Telugu literature as the movement for
spoken dialect was started by Gidugu and Gurajada.
They paved path to the modernity of Telugu language by introducing every day used words,
homely phrases and common place idioms, expressions most familiar to all ears from peasant to the
priest, from prince to the poor. The characters in his works are high-spirited and have modern outlook.
His style of writing is simple yet sublime in meaning.
In 1912, being inspired by the work done by Gurajada, the Bangeeya Sahithya Parishat (The
Bengal Literary Association) which was run by the legends of Bengal like Rabindranath Tagore,
Romesh Chander Dutt and Syamendra Mohandas, invited Gurajada to attend a meeting at Calcutta
now called Kolkata.
Syamendra Mohandas of the Bangeeya Sahitya Parishat, once visited Vizianagaram. He had
written a letter to Gurajada before he left Vizianagaram. In his letter he felt sorry that he had not met
him to talk on the subject of introducing a suitable style in the vernaculars and the present tendency of
modern Bengali.

Blossoms - 7 52
 His dream and vision were of a new social system. His attitude towards women’s education,
social equality and widow re-marriages are all surprisingly modern.
The year 1911 is significant in the history of modern Telugu literature as the movement for
spoken dialect was started by Gidugu and Gurajada.
They paved path to the modernity of Telugu language by introducing every day used words,
homely phrases and common place idioms, expressions most familiar to all ears from peasant to the
priest, from prince to the poor. The characters in his works are high-spirited and have modern outlook.
His style of writing is simple yet sublime in meaning.
In 1912, being inspired by the work done by Gurajada, the Bangeeya Sahithya Parishat (The
Bengal Literary Association) which was run by the legends of Bengal like Rabindranath Tagore,
Romesh Chander Dutt and Syamendra Mohandas, invited Gurajada to attend a meeting at Calcutta
now called Kolkata.
Syamendra Mohandas of the Bangeeya Sahitya Parishat, once visited Vizianagaram. He had
written a letter to Gurajada before he left Vizianagaram. In his letter he felt sorry that he had not met
him to talk on the subject of introducing a suitable style in the vernaculars and the present tendency of
modern Bengali.

Blossoms - 7 52
 * 1. Do you preserve the letter or appreciation from any one
you love most?

(Source: 'Gurajadalu' - Compendium of all available works of Mahakavi Sri Gurajada

Apparao.)

Legendary (adj) : Very well known

Immortal (adj) : living for ever
Revolutionary (adj) : causing a complete change
Harbinger (n) : who fore shadows the future events.
Scholar (n) : a learned person
Disciple (n) : a follower to learn something
Abundantly (adv) : plentifully; in a sufficient dgree
Idealize (v) : to regard something as ideal
Rescued (v) : saved from danger
Dialect (n) : a particular form of a language of a region or a group
Significant (adj) : notable; important
Vernacular (adj) : language of common people
Sublime (adj) : of great excellence or beauty
Lucid (n) : clear

A. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences.

1. What works did Gurajada do to promote the spoken dialects?
2. Why did Gurajada meet Rabindranath Tagore? Why was the meeting special?
3. Which work of Gurajada did find attractive Tagore?
4. Mention the significance of the year 1911.
5. Why did Viswakavi write a letter to Mahakavi ?
6. Who translated Gurajada's "Desa Bhakthi" poems?
a) Gidugu Rama Murthy b) Tagore c) Sri Sri.
7. What did Syamendra Mohandas appeal to Gurajada?
a) To write some books in Bengali.
b) To translate the works of Tagore and Bunkim.
c) To introduce a suitable style in Bengali vernacular language.

Blossoms - 7 54
 * 1. Do you preserve the letter or appreciation from any one
you love most?

(Source: 'Gurajadalu' - Compendium of all available works of Mahakavi Sri Gurajada

Apparao.)

Legendary (adj) : Very well known

Immortal (adj) : living for ever
Revolutionary (adj) : causing a complete change
Harbinger (n) : who fore shadows the future events.
Scholar (n) : a learned person
Disciple (n) : a follower to learn something
Abundantly (adv) : plentifully; in a sufficient dgree
Idealize (v) : to regard something as ideal
Rescued (v) : saved from danger
Dialect (n) : a particular form of a language of a region or a group
Significant (adj) : notable; important
Vernacular (adj) : language of common people
Sublime (adj) : of great excellence or beauty
Lucid (n) : clear

A. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences.

1. What works did Gurajada do to promote the spoken dialects?
2. Why did Gurajada meet Rabindranath Tagore? Why was the meeting special?
3. Which work of Gurajada did find attractive Tagore?
4. Mention the significance of the year 1911.
5. Why did Viswakavi write a letter to Mahakavi ?
6. Who translated Gurajada's "Desa Bhakthi" poems?
a) Gidugu Rama Murthy b) Tagore c) Sri Sri.
7. What did Syamendra Mohandas appeal to Gurajada?
a) To write some books in Bengali.
b) To translate the works of Tagore and Bunkim.
c) To introduce a suitable style in Bengali vernacular language.

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1. Read the following sentences :-
a. Be regular in attending classes. You will miss a lot if you are irregular (in the above sentence
"irregular" is the antonym of the word "regular")
b. The children must obey their parents. They must not disobey them.
Here the antonym is formed by adding ‘dis’ to the word ‘obey’. We can form antonyms by
adding certain prefixes to the words.
Fil in the blanks with the antonyms of the underlined words.
1. Don’t be .................................. Only responsible citizens can create wonders.
2. You should be very patient enough to achieve success. If you are ..............................
You may not reach your goals.
3. Stars are visible during night and .................................. during day.
4. Nothing is ............................................ So, work hard to make anything possible.
5. An efficient person can get a job easily but an .............................. person cannot.

The Simple Past and Past Perfect Tenses

Let us observe the following sentences:
Gurajada retired in 1913.
Gurajada met Rabindranath Tagore at latter’s residence on two occasions in 1912.
In the above sentences, the words ‘retired’, ‘met’ denote completed actions. These actions
are said using past form of the verb.
Simple Past Tense
Usually, verbs in simple past are used to denote the actions completed in the
past with the time mentioned.
E.g. 1. Tagore wrote a letter to Gurajada in 1914.
2. We visited Kashmir last year.
3. They worked with the same spirit to preserve vernacular languages in those days.

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 completed
activity

Past Present Future

Now, let’s consider the following sentence from the text:

After Gurajada had visited Tagore, he wrote an article on the experiences and impression
of their meeting.
Action 1: Gurajada visited Tagore.
Action 2: Gurajada wrote an article.
Both the actions took place in the past. But the action 1 took place before action 2. In such cases the
action 1 is said by using past perfect tense and action 2 is said by using simple past.
Let’s see one more sentence from the text
Syamendra Mohandas had written to Gurajada before he left Vizianagaram.

then,
First, a
another
completed
activity
activity

Past Present Future

Here are some more examples:

1. Vissu had taken breakfast before he went to school.
2. After I had completed my project, my father arrived.
Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the right form of the verb given in the brackets.
1. The doctor ................................ (leave) before the patient ...................... (arrive)
2. After the fire ................................ (start), people .......................... (rush)out of the building.
3. I ....................... him yesterday. (meet).
4. I ......................... (recognize)him immediately as I ................................ (see) him.
5. Long before the chief guest ...................... (arrive), the rain ................................ (stop).

57 English Reader
A. Book Review:
Read the following:
Book Review of 'Kanya Sulkam'.
Physical features (Get up):
Title of the Book : Kanyasulkam in Telugu.
Writer of the book : Sri. Gurajada Apparao.
Quality of Paper : Good
No. Of pages : 280 pages.
First Published : 1892. Telugu.
Publishers : 2007 in English, Indiana University press. 248 pages.
Important Points:
The book reflects social issues of the late 19th century.
It supports the widow remarriage.
It educates the disadvantages of child marriages.
It tries to stop the marriages in which the girls of tender age are sold to the old
persons.
The title itself shows the evil, Kanyasulkam.
The influence of book is still in the society.
B. Diary entry:
Imagine that you got The Best Actor Award for your performance in the skit in the district level
competitions conducted on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day. Now,
make an entry in your diary.

1. Roleplay:
Read the following conversation and note the underlined expressions which we used
for apologizing.

Sunny : I am sorry, I have damaged your watch.

Bunny : It was a gift from my father. I wish you were more careful with it.

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 Sunny : Believe me, I am not careless. It was raining when I was returning home yesterday.
I wanted to protect it from the rain. The watch slipped from my wrist and got
damaged. I am extremely sorry.
Bunny : Oh! It was an accident then. Never mind.
Sunny : That is so nice of you. You are very kind-hearted. Thank you.
Bunny : It’s all right.
Language Function
Giving advice
Read the following sentences
1. You should get up early.
2. You should not eat junk food.
3. You should not walk in the middle of the road.
4. You should obey your parents.

Observe the following table

wear mask
maintain social distance
Should clean your hands with sanitizer, do not touch your eyes, nose and
Shouldn’t mouth, get close contact with sick a person
cough and sneeze in your hands
limit your social gatherings

Using the table above give an advice to your friend.

E.g. You should wear mask.

A. Listen to the following story and answer the questions.

Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Honesty
When Lal Bahadur Shastri was the Prime Minister of India, he went to a textile mill. He
requested the owner of the mill to show him cheaper sarees for his wife. The owner showed him some
exquisite sarees. When Shastri ji asked the price, he felt they were very expensive. He asked for
cheaper sarees. The owner showed him cheaper sarees. But, shastri ji still found them expensive. The
owner was surprised and requested not worry about the prices. And he told Sastri ji that it would be
his previlege to give the sarees as gift for he was the prime minister of india.

59 English Reader
 Shastri Ji replied that he could not accept such expensive gifts and he would only take a saree
that he could afford.
Questions:
1. What is this story about?
2. Where did Sastry Ji go?
3. What did he want to buy for his wife? ( )
a) a saree b) a gold chain c) a purse
4. The owner of the textile mill showed very expensive sarees.
Tick whether this statement is true or false. (True / False)
5. Did Shastri ji accept sarees free as a gift?

Comprehension
1. “Nobody wanted to be friends with the boy.” Why?
2. Why were the boy’s parents worried about him?
3. What did the boy’s father ask him to do when he got angry?
4. Why did the number of nails driven on the board gradually decrease?
5. What is the moral of the story?

State whether the following statements are true/ false:

1. The boy’s parents were very happy with the boy. [ ]
2. The boy was very bad tempered. [ ]
3. The boy was playing with the hammer and nail. [ ]
4. The boy’s father asked him to pull out one nail every time when he holds [ ]
his temper all day long.
5. We should treat everyone with love and respect. [ ]

Study the tree diagram and answer the questions.

Language Skills
Productive Skills Receptive Skills
(Active Skills) (Passive Skills)

Speaking Writing Listening Reading

Fluency, Editing, Recognition, Intensive,

Pronunciation Organisational Understanding gist Extensive

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Questions:
1. What is the tree diagram about?
2. What are the four basic skills in learning a language?
3. Number of receptive skills is __________ . ( )
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3
4. Editing is one of the subskills of __________ ( )
a) listening b) reading c) writing
5. Reading is one of the ____________ skills. ( )
a) productive b) receptive c) active

Add a letter to the given word to make it a new one. You can use the clue given in brackets.
The first one is done for you.
1. ink : pink (a colour)
2. old : _ _ _ _ (a metal)
3. word : _ _ _ _ _ (a weapon)
4. pine : _ _ _ _ _ (back-bone)
5. wig : _ _ _ _ (part of a plant)
6. ask : _ _ _ _ (the work assigned)

On my With With
Check points own friends’ help teachers’ help

I was able to read the main reading text

I was able to use the glossary given
I was able to do the vocabulary tasks.
I was able to do the grammar exercises
I was able to do the writing tasks
I was able to do the task under the study
skills

61 English Reader
Questions:
1. What is the tree diagram about?
2. What are the four basic skills in learning a language?
3. Number of receptive skills is __________ . ( )
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3
4. Editing is one of the subskills of __________ ( )
a) listening b) reading c) writing
5. Reading is one of the ____________ skills. ( )
a) productive b) receptive c) active

Add a letter to the given word to make it a new one. You can use the clue given in brackets.
The first one is done for you.
1. ink : pink (a colour)
2. old : _ _ _ _ (a metal)
3. word : _ _ _ _ _ (a weapon)
4. pine : _ _ _ _ _ (back-bone)
5. wig : _ _ _ _ (part of a plant)
6. ask : _ _ _ _ (the work assigned)

On my With With
Check points own friends’ help teachers’ help

I was able to read the main reading text

I was able to use the glossary given
I was able to do the vocabulary tasks.
I was able to do the grammar exercises
I was able to do the writing tasks
I was able to do the task under the study
skills

61 English Reader