Blossoms - 4 English Textbook PDF

 BLOSSOMS - 4 English Reader Textbook Development Committee Editorial Board Sri Praveen Prakash IAS Sri. S. Suresh Kumar IAS...

 BLOSSOMS - 4 English Reader Textbook Development Committee Editorial Board Sri Praveen Prakash IAS Sri. S. Suresh Kumar IAS Principal Secretary to Government Commissioner of School Education , AP Department of School Education, AP Sri. B. Srinivasa Rao IAS Sri. K. Ravindranath Reddy MA., B.Ed. State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, AP Director, Government Textbook Press, AP Dr. B. Pratap Reddy MA., B.Ed., Ph.D. Director, SCERT, AP Editors Dr. Vennelakanti Prakasam Prof. (Retd.) English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. Dr. K. N. Shoba M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D (English), M.A. (Edu.) Asst. Professor, Anna University, Chennai. Dr. M. Suresh Kumar M.A., M.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D., P.G.D.T.S. Head, Department of English, Acharya Nagarjuna University. Dr. T. Swarupa Rani M.Sc., M.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. Dean, Faculty of Education, Acharya Nagarjuna University. Dr. A. Ramakrishna Rao Lecturer, DIET, Bommuru, East Godavari Acknowledgements to Dr. Hemalatha Nagarajan M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D. Prof. EFLU, Hyderabad. Programme Co-ordinator Dr. G. Kesava Reddy, M.Sc., M.Sc., M.Ed., Mphil, Ph.D Prof. C&T, SCERT, AP. Co-ordinator Dr. T. V. S. Ramesh M.Sc., M.Ed., Ph.D. Dept. of C&T, SCERT, AP. Published by Samagra Shiksha, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati. i  © Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati First Published 2020 New Impression 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 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 copy right 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 220 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  Writers Dr. N. Peraiah, SA (English) ZPHS P.N.Varam, Veligandla, Prakasam Dist. Sri. Ch.N.Dora MPPS, Ankampeta, Payakaraopeta (M), Visakhapatnam District. Sri. K. Raja Sekhar MPPS, Chandrala (H.W.), Mylavaram (M), Krishna District. Sri. K. Nagendra DCEB - District Assessment Cell, Ananthapuram Sri. B. Madhusudhan MPUPS, Neeliparthi, Salur (M), Vizianagaram District. Sri. S.S. Srinivas MPPS, Kopperapalem, Ballikurava (M), Prakasam District Sri. S. Srinivasa Rao MPPS, Swarna, Karamchedu (M), Prakasam District. Sri. NVGKDV Prasad MPUPS, Chirichintala, Gudiwada Rural, Krishna District. Smt. M. Mangarani Sri Nagaraja Spl, MCES,Vidyanagar, Rajahmundry, E.G. District. Sri. M. Vijaya Bhaskar MPPS,(H.W.), Gonegandla (M), Kurnool District. Smt. VVSS. Naga Lakshmi Muncipal EM School (10th Ward), Narasapur, W.G. District Sri. V. Johnson SA. English Retd., Vijayawada, Krishna District Artist DTP & Designing Uttam Star Media Services Hyderabad iii iv  In this book Pre-reading Pre-reading activity with attractive pictures to lead learners into the lesson. Motivates learners and encourages interactive learning. Creates a learner friendly environment. Reading Texts selected for reading activity belong to a rich variety of genres by Indian and International stories. Each reading text is followed by comprehension ‘Wh-’as well as objective type questions. Vocabulary Enriches the learners’ languange. Makes them identify words and use in day to day communication. Grammar Builds language proficiency through simple exercises. Writing Helps to develop imaginative and critical thinking abilities and express themselves creatively. Listening and responding Focus on honing oral and aural skills through listening comprehension, group discussions and role plays. v  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. vi  ENGLISH Class - IV Unit Lesson Month Page No. 1. Three Butterflies June-July 1 - 15 2. Major Dhyan Chand August 16 - 27 3. A Trip of Memories September 28 - 46 4. Swami Vivekananda October 47 - 61 5. The Magic Fish November 62 - 74 6. The Seed of Truth December 75 - 87 7. Birbal Caught the Thief January 88 - 101 8. The Tree and the River February 102 - 120 Revision March Revision April Teacher Corner Student Corner vii  Learning outcomes: By learning each unit, the students will be able to: 1. Three Butterflies ¨ read and understand the unfamiliar words such as ¨ read simple narrative by understanding the main ideas ‘strange’, ‘pop up’, ‘palace’, present in the reading text. ‘storm’, ‘thorn’, etc. in meaningful contexts. ¨ read and understand unfamiliar words such as ¨ solve simple cross word puzzle using the opposites ‘nectar’, ‘shelter’, ‘pebbles’, ‘dismay’, ‘chase’, etc., of the words given. ¨ solve simple cross word puzzle using the plural forms ¨ make sentences using ‘ing’ form to express on going of the nouns given. actions. ¨ use the singular and plural forms of the verbs ¨ use punctuation marks i.e. quotation marks contextually. (“ ’’) appropriately. ¨ identify the different types of material nouns with ¨ develop simple conversation basing on the given examples. situation. ¨ make sentences using Can I …?, May I…..? to ask ¨ listen and respond to simple questions related to ‘on- for permissions… going activities’ in school. ¨ use punctuation marks full stop (.), comma (,), 6. The Seed of Truth question mark (?) and ¨ read and comprehend the text ¨ capitalization in writing. ¨ understand simple instructions and respond properly. ¨ write simple conversations using the clues given. ¨ write opposite words for the given words using some 2. Major Dhyan Chand prefixes. ¨ know about a great personality related to sports. ¨ understand the simple future tense and answers the ¨ learn irregular plurals and use them in different activity appropriately. sentences/context ¨ describe a poster or invitation on his/her own in ¨ know about pronouns and identify them in a sentence. English. ¨ write about/describe an event or celebration in his/ ¨ understand the function of ‘may’. her school or life. ¨ recite and enjoy the rhyme and rhythm of the poem. ¨ read and sing the poem with proper actions. 7. Birbal caught the thief ¨ read the information in a graphic structure. ¨ read and understand the theme of the story. 3. A Trip of memories ¨ write the vocabulary related to the word "kingdom". ¨ understand the main ideas present in the reading text. ¨ write the spellings of servant, thief, merchant, ¨ learn synonyms and antonyms and contextually. precious, equal, diamonds words. ¨ prepare a poster from the clues given. ¨ learn and use past continuous tense. ¨ identify the simple present and simple past forms of ¨ understand and use the number, person and regular verbs. agreement of the verb with the subject. 4. Swami Vivekananda 8. The Tree and the River ¨ know about great personalities “Swami Vivekananda” ¨ understand the importance of the nature and the need and derive inspiration by reading the text. to save the nature ¨ answer the ' Wh' questions. ¨ read simple narrative and letter by understanding the ¨ understand simple instructions and respond. main ideas present in the text- infer the meanings of ¨ understand the word meanings in context. unfamiliar words from the textual clues. ¨ understand the usage of 'Prepositions of time'. ¨ recite a poem : 'the Rainbow' with appropriate ¨ understand and express habitual actions. expressions and intonation. ¨ write a few sentences on a given concept. ¨ refer to a dictionary to find out spelling and meaning ¨ listen and enjoy the rhythm of a poem. and use new vocabulary. 5. The Magic Fish ¨ identify and use adverbs of place in context (song). ¨ realise the consequences of being greedy. ¨ listen to news item and respond to the questions ¨ sequence the events of a story. appropriately. ¨ read and comprehend the story. ¨ learn to write a letter in guided approach and use liners: first, next, and last appropriately. v ii i  Three Butterflies 1 UNIT Pre-reading Activity 1 Look at the picture and answer the questions. 1. What do you see in the picture? 2. Do you like to play in the rain? 3. What do you carry when you go out in rain? 4. If you were in the place of the girl holding an umbrella, what would you do? 1 Class - 4 English Reader  Reading Three Butterflies Three butterflies lived in a garden. They were friends. One of them was white, one red and the other yellow. They played and danced together. They flew together and sucked nectar from the flowers. One afternoon, when the butterflies were playing in the garden, it suddenly grew dark and a cold wind blew. "It's going to rain. Let's stop playing." said the red butterfly. Suddenly it started raining and the three butterflies got wet in the rain. They found it difficult to fly. They looked for shelter. They saw a sunflower nearby. It was watching them curiously. "Hello sunflower, it's raining heavily. Can we stay here till it stops raining?" a sked the butterflies. The sunflower said, "My favourite red and yellow ones! You can stay with me till it stops raining. But I can't let the white one in here." The yellow and the red butterflies replied, "No dear, we won't stay here, sending away our friend in dismay." The rain came down like pebbles on the butterflies. Blossoms - 4 2  Then the butterflies saw a white lily. “Hello good lily, it’s rain- ing heavily. Open your petals wide and take us in to hide,” the butter- flies begged. “My favourite white one, you can stay with me till it stops raining. But I cannot let the other two of you here,” said the white lily. “No dear, I won’t stay here, sending away my friends in dismay.” replied the white butterfly. The butterflies were totally wet by then and it was very difficult for them to fly. They looked at the sky. It was still cloudy. The sun was watching the butterflies from behind the clouds. He was pleased to see the love and care among the butterflies. So he chased the clouds away and it stopped raining. The sun dried the butterflies' wings. The three butterflies were happy again. They danced in the garden among the flowers till evening. When night fell, the three butterflies went to sleep together. 3 Class - 4 English Reader  GLOSSARY: nectar : a sweet liquid produced by plants and collected by bees. shelter : a place that protects one from bad weather. pebbles : small stones dismay : a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment. chased : ran after (someone or something) to catch (them). Comprehension Activity 2 Fill in the blanks. 1. The butterflies lived in a …............….. 2. Butterflies suck …............….. from flowers. 3. The rain hit the …............….. like pebbles. 4. …............…..was watching the butterflies from behind the clouds. Observe the underlined words in the given sentences. 1. “I won’t stay here sending away my friends in dismay,” replied the white butterfly. 2. Three butterflies lived in the garden. In sentence 1, the word ‘butterfly’ denotes only one butterfly. So the noun butterfly is singular. In sentence 2, the word ‘butterflies’ denotes more than one butterfly. So the noun butterflies is plural. Blossoms - 4 4  Activity 3 Find the plural forms of the singular nouns from the reading text. Write in the table. Singular Plural flower pebble fellow petal cloud wing butterfly Singular nouns form their plurals by adding ‘s’, ‘es’, or ‘ies’ depending upon the word endings. Activity 4 l Fill the given crossword puzzle with the plurals of the given singulars from the hint n p box. f garden lily g r e s c cloud night box poem s o s friend school s s b s 5 Class - 4 English Reader  GRAMMAR Read the sentence taken from the text. The rain came down like pebbles on the butterflies. Read some more sentences…. 1. Honey is wholesome food and good for health. 2. Gold is a precious metal. 3. We get wood from trees. 4. We should drink clean water. 5. We get wool from sheep. 6. I don’t eat meat. 7. Houses are built using bricks and cement. The nouns which are underlined above are made of a metal or substance. Such nouns are called material nouns. A material noun is the name of a metal or sub- stance from which a thing is made. Activity 5 Underline the material nouns in the sentences given below. 1. Silver is used to make jewellery. 2. The hen lays eggs. 3. I use coconut oil for my hair. 4. I get new clothes on my birthday. 5. Drink milk for good health. 6. My sister likes cheese. 7. Iron is used in constructions. 8. My father has a mobile phone. Blossoms - 4 6  Conventions of writing Read the given passage. “Look! There are clouds in the sky,” said Praneetha. “Start raining! O cloud! I want to dance in the rain,” said John. “I want to make paper boats and float them on water.” said Masthan. “O cloud! Don’t rain please. It is Sunday. I have to play,” said Momeen. “O cloud! Don’t rain please. It rains in my house too,” said Banti. Does it rain now? Observe where the full stop (.), comma (,), question mark (?) and capital letters are placed. Now listen to what the full stop (.), comma (,), question mark (?) and capital letters tell about themselves. 7 Class - 4 English Reader  you can see me at the end of the sentence. use me at the end of the sentence. full stop you can see me at the end of the question. use me at the end of the question. question mark you can see me in the beginning of the sentence, persons, places, days of week, months and the word I. use me in the beginning of the sentence, persons, places, days of the week, months and the word I. capitalization you can see me at the place where three or more words, sentences or items are separated. use me to separate more than two words, sentences or items. comma Blossoms - 4 8  Activity 6 Read the following and punctuate the sentence correctly. rani mary rajesh basha and rehana are playing cricket “don’t you go to school” asked an old man “today is sunday sunday is a holiday”they said Rewrite the above passage using punctuation marks the full stop (.), comma (,), question mark (?) and capital letters, wherever necessary......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Activity 7 Complete the conversation using the hints given below. Three butterflies wanted to learn dancing, singing and swimming. First, they went to a peacock and asked… Butterflies: Dear Peacock, we know that you are a good dancer. We want to learn dancing. Would you teach us to dance? Peacock: With pleasure, Dear Butterflies, I can teach you to dance. Secondly, three butterflies went to a cuckoo and asked… Butterflies : Dear Cuckoo,………………………………………… ………………………………………………………..…. ………………………………………………………..…. 9 Class - 4 English Reader Cuckoo : ……………………………………………………….... ………………………………………………………… Lastly, the three butterflies went to a fish and asked… Butterflies : …………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………… Fish : ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………. Listen to the conversation between a butterfly and a caterpillar. Caterpillar : Hi, Butterfly. Butterfly : Hi dear, caterpillar! Caterpillar : You are so beautiful! Butterfly : You too. Caterpillar : Really!? Am I beautiful? Butterfly : Yes. We both are beautiful. Caterpillar : Is it so? Butterfly : Yes, it is. Caterpillar : You have beautiful wings. But I don’t have. Butterfly : You see, I too was once just like you. Caterpillar : Hard to believe! Butterfly : Believe it. I still can remember crawling just like you. Caterpillar : You are lucky! You can fly. But I can’t. Butterfly : Don’t feel like that. You too will become like me. But good things take time to happen. Caterpillar : Really!? Butterfly : Yes dear, Caterpillar! Waiting for you to fly together. Blossoms - 4 10  Activity 8 Answer the following questions. 1. "You too will become like me"; who is 'you' and who is 'me' in the sentence? 2. "We both are beautiful," said butterfly. What is your opinion on this statement? Justify. 3. "Difficult to believe", what is that difficult to believe? 4. Which one do you like, the caterpillar or the butterfly? Why? 5. Which one do you usually chase, the butterfly or the caterpillar? Why? 6. What happens to the butterfly if you catch it? Making request using 'can' and 'may'. Read the following sentences from the reading text. 1. "Can we stay here till the rain is over?" 2. "You can stay with me till it stops raining." In the first sentence, the butterflies are asking permission to stay with the sunflower. In the second sentence, the sunflower is giving permission. Read the following conversation. Yes. You Can I take can. your pencil? 11 Class - 4 English Reader  No. You Can I take can't. your pen? May I go to Yes. You drink may. water? May I come in? Yes. You may. The above sentences Can ……….? May ……….? are used to ask for permission. To give permission, we say Yes. You can. Yes. You may. For refusing permission, we say No. You can't. No. You may not. Blossoms - 4 12  Activity 9 Role play Now, convert the following instructions into questions for asking permission by using "can", "may". Role play the conversation given below:- Note to the teacher: Form pairs and ask them to play their roles. 1. Take your eraser. 2. Go to toilet. 3. Close the door. 4. Ask you a question. 5. Use your bicycle. 6. Open the window. Can I take Yes. You your eraser? can. May I go ………….? 13 Class - 4 English Reader Tongue twister: Say the given sentence as quickly as possible. Butterflies fly but a butterfly flies. Activity 10 Dictation: Listen to the teacher carefully and write down the paragraph dictated by your teacher. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. Activity 11 Language game: (Group activity) Language game - following instructions. Material required: Dice and beads. Procedure: 1. Make the students form a group of four at least. 2. Ask them to throw the dice, read the number and count the number of grids and move the bead on the board. 3. And ask them to follow the instructions given in the grid. 4. The one who moves to the end is to be declared winner of the game. (Note to the teacher: Let the students express freely. Encourage children. Don't bother about the mistakes. Prompt them whenever necessary.) Blossoms - 4 14 15 Class - 4 English Reader  Major Dhyan Chand 2 UNIT Observe the following picture. Now, answer the following questions. Activity 1 1. What are there in the picture? 2. Mention the names of any 3 balls from the picture. 3. Why are helmets used by cricket players? 4. Which game do you like the most? 5. Where do you play? Blossoms - 4 16  Reading Major Dhyan Chand Dhyan Chand's real name was Dhyan Singh. He was a soldier in the Indian Army. He couldn't practice hockey during the day because he used to be busy on his duty as a soldier. That is why he used to practice at night in moonlight. It is believed that his coach fondly began to call him Dhyan Chand, 'Chand' meaning moon. The name stayed with him. Saturday, 15 August 1936. It was the day of the hockey finals during the Olympic events held in Berlin, Germany. Germany had defeated several teams to enter the finals against the Indian team. They were the hosts of the Olympics, and they were sure of their victory. All the day before, it had rained heavily. The entire field had be- come wet. But 15th August being the last day of the Games, it was not possible to postpone the match any further. About forty thousand people including men and women had gath- ered in the hockey stadium. The match started exactly at 11 a.m. No team could score a goal during the first half an hour. During the 32nd minute, Roop Singh scored the first goal, hitting the ball towards the goalpost from a difficult angle. In the second half of the match, the Indian team scored three more goals. Two of them were scored by the Captain of the Indian team, Dhyan Chand. The Germans also scored a goal. Dhyan Chand's spiked shoes were making it difficult for him to run fast on the wet ground. He removed the shoes and the socks and began 17 Class - 4 English Reader  to run barefoot. The Indian team scored three more goals. The German goalkeeper pounced on Dhyan Chand and hurt him. But Dhyan Chand was a true soldier. After a little first-aid, he immediately returned to the field and held the spectators spellbound with his game. At last, he scored the last goal of the match just as the game drew to a close. The Indian team had won the medal third time in a row. It was a hat-trick. Indians were the third time winners of the Olympic gold medal. It is said that the German ruler offered Dhyan Chand a higher salary and rank in the German army, if he agreed to play on behalf of Germany, but Dhyan Chand turned down the offer. After the celebrated victory in the Olympics, Hitler awarded a special gold medal to Dhyan Chand. You may be aware that hockey is our national sport. Major Dhyan Chand's birthday, August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. The famous national stadium in Delhi is named after the great hero 'Dhyan Chand'. Who knows, perhaps one of you may carry the legacy of Dhyan Chand further and win great glory for our country. - Adapted from 'Major Dhyan Chand' by Sanjay Dudhane, Sports Writer. The lifeless hockey stick used to come alive in the hands of Dhyan Chand. When he dribbled, the ball just wouldn’t leave his stick. Some people even stole his sticks and broke them open to see whether they contained a special glue or magnet. Dhyan Chand was even made to play with other 'ordinary' sticks but even then his play was as charismatic as ever. Blossoms - 4 18  GLOSSARY: victory : win/success defeated : lost postpone : put off to a later time aggressive : angry/ready to attack goal : the act of hitting the ball into the goalpost barefoot : without wearing anything on the feet Comprehension Activity 2 I) Answer the following questions 1) Who called Dhyan Singh as 'Dhyan Chand'? 2) Where were the 1936 Olympics held? 3) Who played against India in the finals? 4) What did the German ruler offer to Dhyan Chand? 5) Why did Dhyan Chand remove his shoes? 6) Who won the Berlin Olympic Games in hockey? 7) Who pounced on Dhyan Chand and why? II) Choose the correct answer from the given options and put the correct letter in the bracket. 1) The captain of Indian hockey team in 1936 was ( ) (a) Tej Singh (b) Dhyan Chand (c) Rupendra Chand 2) The hosts of the 1936 Olympic Games were ( ) (a) Spain (b) France (c) Germany 3) The ground was uncomfortable to play because, it was ( ) (a) green (b) dry (c) wet 19 Class - 4 English Reader 4) The first goal for India was scored by ( ) (a) Dhyan Chand (b) Roop Singh (c) Hitler 5) Hitler awarded Dhyan Chand with ( ) (a) a bronze medal (b) a silver medal (c) a gold medal Read the following statement. Focus on the words underlined. About forty thousand people including men and women had gathered in the hockey stadium. The words 'men' and 'women' are the plural forms of the words 'man' and 'woman'. It is clearly observed that the plural forms (men, women) are formed with a change in the vowel letter(s) (man, woman). Observe some more examples: Singular Plural Singular Plural foot feet woman women goose geese mouse mice Blossoms - 4 20  Activity 3 Look at the pictures and circle the appropriate word. goose / geese man / men foot / feet tooth / teeth woman / women louse / lice foot / feet man / men tooth / teeth louse / lice woman / women goose / geese 21 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 4 Fill in the blanks with the plural words of the singular words given in the brackets. 1. I brush my ____________ (tooth) in the morning. 2. Cats like to chase ____________ (mouse). 3. My brother is six ____________ (foot)-three inches tall. 4. We saw a flock of ____________ (goose) in the lake. Activity 5 Find and circle F F X K A B A D D I the names (at T O H Y M A G N R U least six) of the E O O C R I C K E T games and sports N T C N A N R C D U in the box. Write N B K J W M P H A H them in the I A E L N A Y E S S space given. S L Y S D S E S E A F L H E A U M S H R V O L L E Y B A L L Blossoms - 4 22  GRAMMAR Read the following statements. Focus on the words underlined. 1. Major Dhyan Chand was a famous hockey player. He was a soldier in the Indian Army. 2. The German players were ready to play with the Indian team. They were the hosts of the Olympics, and they were sure of their victory. In sentence 1, the word 'he' is used in place of Major Dhyan Chand. In sentence 2, the word 'they' refers to German players. Such words are called pronouns. Pronouns: A word that is used instead of a noun or a he noun phrase is called a pronoun. you she e.g.1. Rani is a girl. we She is a good girl. I 2. Shyam is playing football. they it He is playing football. 3. Kamala, Vimala and Anu are students. They are students. 4. Ganesh and I went to the movie. We went to the movie. 23 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 6 Circle the pronoun in the given box. 1. She 1. Bat 2. Latha 2. It 3. Geetha 3. Ball 1. Ramu 1. They 2. Rakesh 2. People 3. He 3. Players Activity 7 Rewrite the sentences by changing the underlined words with suitable pronouns. he it we she they 1. The butterfly was pretty. ________________________________ 2. Raju and Ravi are friends. ________________________________ 3. The giraffe is tall. ________________________________ 4. The fireman put out the fire. ________________________________ 5. Jyothi is a nurse. ________________________________ 6. Raju and I went to the park. ________________________________ Blossoms - 4 24  Here is a description of an event at the School Annual Day Celebrations, written by a student. Go through it carefully. The Annual Day of our school was celebrated on the 2nd Friday of February. We decorated our school with flowers and balloons. We participated in games and cultural activities. Prizes were distributed to the participants and the winners. The School Committee Chairman was the chief guest for the function. Activity 8 Now, describe the Annual Sports Day, using the following clues. 3rd Saturday of December - conducted games - participants - winners - Sub Inspector of police - mementos. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Listen to your teacher and respond One morning, Ramu was going to school on bicycle. Suddenly he fell down from the bicycle. He was injured. Eswar saw him on the way. He felt sorry for Ramu. We express our sympathy when somebody loses something or gets injured. We use the expressions like, 'I feel sorry' etc... 25 Class - 4 English Reader Read the following conversation in which Vasu expresses his sympathy for his friend, John. Role play it. Activity 9 Vani : Hi, John! What are you doing here? John : I am searching for my lost note book. Vani : Oh, sorry! Where did you keep it? John : At my seat in the classroom. Vani : How does it look like? John : It's a new one with a red cover on it. Vani : Don't worry. Let's find. John : Thank you, Vani. POEM The Kitten at Play See the kitten on the wall Sporting with the leaves that fall, Withered leaves, one, two and three Falling from the elder-tree, Through the calm and frosty air Of the morning bright and fair. See the kitten, how she starts, Crouches, stretches, paws and darts, With a tiger-leap half way Now she meets her coming prey. Lets it go as fast and then Has it in her power again. - William Wordsworth Blossoms - 4 26  About the Poet William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 - 23 April 1850) was an English poet. His major works are Lyrical Ballads, Simon Lee, We are Seven, Lines Written in Early Spring. GLOSSARY: sporting : playing withered : dried crouches : lowers the body with arms and legs bent prey : a bird or an animal killed by another animal for food Comprehension Activity 10 I) Answer the following questions 1. Where does the kitten play in stanza-1? 2. Where are the leaves falling from? Are they fresh and green or brown and dry? 3. Pick out two sets of words that describe 'air' and 'morning'. II) Circle the rhyming words in the poem. Tongue twister: Say the given sentence as quickly as possible. Six slippery snails slid slowly sea ward. 27 Class - 4 English Reader  A Trip of Memories 3 UNIT Pre-reading Activity 1 Observe the picture given below: Now answer the following questions: 1. What are the people doing in the picture? 2. Who are they? 3. Name a few visiting places/tourist places near by you? Blossoms - 4 28  Reading A Trip of Memories Have you ever been to any hill station? Have you ever heard about the hill station named 'Horsley Hills'? Let us read Hemanth's joyful experience in Horsley Hills: Vijayawada, Date: 3rd October, 2020. Dear Harsha, Here I share a few moments of my trip to Horsley Hills. I felt happy when my father said to me, "Hemanth, we are going to Horsley Hills tomorrow. It is also called the Ooty of Andhra Pradesh." Then immediately, I rushed to my mother and sister to share this happy news. They felt happy. We started our preparations to Horsley Hills. I packed the things like shoes, socks, sweater, hat etc. in my travel bag. 29 Class - 4 English Reader Early in the morning, my father woke me up at 4 a.m. and I quickly had my bath. I got ready with my pretty travel bag. My mother and sister were also ready. We went to Vijayawada Railway Station by an auto and reached it by 5.30 a.m. We all got into the train and were comfortably seated. We reached Pakala Railway Station at 12 noon. We hired a car to Horsley Hills from Pakala. The scenic drive through the ghat road onto the Horsley Hills was exciting. It has many curves. There are big and tall trees and dense bushes on either side of the road. The cool breeze of the hills touched our cheeks soft. The Sampangi flowers on the hills spread their sweet smell. We all enjoyed that joyful ride onto the hills. A fresh and cool breeze welcomed us into the Andhra Ooty. When we got down from the car, a mesmerising scenery welcomed us. The whole area was covered with green trees and colourful flowers. The climate was very cool and calm. Clouds were passing on us. We all had a thrilling experience. We were at 1265 metres high above mean sea level. Soon after the completion of our lunch, we visited a big rocky slope called "Gali Banda". There were strong winds all the day. From there, we moved to the Eastern and Western viewpoints which were famous for glorious sunrises and sunsets. We watched a variety of birds and animals in the Mini-Zoo where we had a lot of fun. The crocodiles in the zoo were a special attraction. Blossoms - 4 30 We also heard interesting news about wild animals like bears, wild dogs, sambars, leopards, panthers and tigers which appear occasionally. Then my father took us to the nearest historical town named Madanapalle, where Rabindranath Tagore translated Jana gana mana, our National Anthem, from Bengali to English. And at this very place, Mrs. Margaret Cousins, a British woman, composed a tune for our National Anthem. Jana gana mana was first sung at a courtyard in Madanapalle. Next morning, we came back home with a lot of memories. Dear friend, this is my wonderful trip to Horsley Hills with my parents and my loving sister. The trip gave me ever lasting memories. Hope, you too may plan to have a wonderful trip with your parents during summer vacation to a beautiful place. Yours lovingly, Hemanth. 31 Class - 4 English Reader  GLOSSARY: rushed : moved with great speed reached : arrived at hired : took for rent curves : turnings breeze : a gentle wind spread : extend or distribute climate : weather at certain time thrill : a sudden excitement attraction : interesting place to see translate : change from one language to another composed : set music for a song occasionally : now and then Comprehension Answer the following questions. 1. What are the means of transport that Hemanth’s family used to go to Horsley Hills? 2. What is the reason for the cool weather of Horsley Hills? Guess. 3. Why is Horsley Hills called the 'Ooty of Andhra Pradesh'? 4. What are the places that the family visited during their trip? 5. What is the importance of Madanapalle with regard to our National Anthem? Blossoms - 4 32  Activity 2 Read the sentences given below, and write True (T) or False (F) in the given brackets. 1. Harsha and members of his family planned to visit Horsley Hills. ( ) 2. All the family members went to Vijayawada Railway Station by car. ( ) 3. The journey on the ghat road was exciting with many curves. ( ) 4. They all enjoyed the joyful ride onto the hills. ( ) 5. Horsley Hills is totally covered with green trees and colourful flowers. ( ) 6. The weather condition in summer is very hot in Horsley Hills. ( ) 7. 'Gali Banda' is famous for strong winds. ( ) 8. We see wild animals regularly in Horsley Hills. ( ) 9. Rabindranath Tagore composed a tune for Jana gana mana. ( ) 10. Rabindranath Tagore translated Jana gana mana from Bengali to English. ( ) Synonyms: A. Read the following sentences and observe the underlined words. 1. I quickly had my bath. 2. I hurriedly had my bath. 3. I instantly had my bath. The underlined words quickly, hurriedly and instantly carry nearly the same meaning. Such kind of words are called 33 Class - 4 English Reader synonyms. A synonym is a word that has nearly the same meaning as another word. Let us see a few more examples here. wonderful = admirable, amazing, astonishing vacation = break, holiday beautiful = pretty, good-looking, charming memory = mind, recollection, remembrance courtyard = lawn, patio and yard composed = confident, easy going, level headed occasionally = sometimes, (every) now and then, infrequently interesting = alluring, amusing, attractive B. Read the following paragraph carefully. And observe the underlined words carefully. Horsley Hills is a well-known tourist spot in Andhra Pradesh. It is also called the 'Ooty of Andhra Pradesh'. We feel a cool breeze and enjoy looking at the heavy bushes. We see a good looking scenery and high mountains there. The whole area is filled with green trees and colourful flowers. The temperature is very cool. Blossoms - 4 34  Activity 3 Now fill in the blanks with suitable synonyms in the following. Use the help box famous, beautiful, climate, covered, dense Horsley Hills is a _______ tourist spot in Andhra Pradesh. It is also called the 'Ooty of Andhra Pradesh'. We feel cool breeze and enjoy looking at _______ bushes. We see a _________scenery and high mountains there. The whole area ________ with green trees and colourful flowers. The ________ is very cool. Activity 4 Match the words with suitable synonyms. 1. share ( ) A. delight 2. pack ( ) B. slant 3. touch ( ) C. bundle 4. enjoy ( ) D. feel 5. slope ( ) E. distribute ANTONYMS: Read the following sentence and observe the underlined words. You must go to Horsley Hills if you want to enjoy cold weather in hot summer. The underlined words are opposite to each other. They are opposite in meaning. 35 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 5 Write opposite words to the following words taken from the lesson. If there is a need, take the help of your teacher. 1. jolly × 3. above × 4. big × 5. tall × 6. clean ` × 7. fresh × 8. good × 9. strong × 10. silent × 11. bright × GRAMMAR Adjectives Read the following sentences taken from the lesson and identify adjectives. There are big and tall trees and dense bushes on either side of the road. The underlined words in the sentence add special meaning to ‘trees and bushes’. In other words, they describe trees and bushes. These type of words are called describing words. Such words are called adjectives. Blossoms - 4 36  Activity 6 Pick out sentences with describing words (adjectives) from the story. 1. ________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________ Activity 7 Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the appropriate words from the box given below. fluent, colourful, little, long, karate, poor 1. There is a _______________ queue at the ticket counter. 2. The _______________ girl is crying for her mother. 3. There are _______________ flowers in the garden. 4. Khasim is a _______________ fighter. 5. She speaks _______________ English. 37 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 8 Match the describing words under column ‘A’ with the nouns under column ‘B’ and put the right letter in the bracket. A B Describing words Naming words 1. dark ( ) a. moon 2. deep ( ) b. sun 3. blue ( ) c. night 4. cool ( ) d. sky 5. bright ( ) e. sea Read the following sentences and observe the punctuation marks at the end --full stop (. ) question mark ( ? ) and exclamation (!). 1. I quickly had my bath. 2. They felt happy. 3. Who is your English teacher? 4. Have you ever been to Delhi? 5. What a long queue it is! 6. What a beautiful flower! Blossoms - 4 38 What did you observe from the above sentences? 1. Sentences 1 and 2 end with a full stop (. ) as they are statements. 2. Sentences 3 and 4 end with a question mark ( ? ) as they are questions. 3. Sentences 5 and 6 end with an exclamation mark ( ! ) as they express a sudden feeling of surprise. An exclamatory mark can be used after the words or the sentences which express a sudden feeling of surprise , happiness, anger, sorrow or disappointment. Example: (1) Alas! I lost my pen! (2) What a pity! (3) Hurrah! I have won the game! Activity 9 Add the correct punctuation at the end. full stop (. ) question mark ( ? ) or exclamation mark ( ! ) 1. You are late again _____________________________ 2. Where is my pen _____________________________ 3. Kiran plays cricket every day _____________________________ 4. Where do you live _____________________________ 39 Class - 4 English Reader  5. Stop you’re making me angry ______________________________ 6. My name is Naveen ______________________________ 7. Hey, look here ______________________________ 8. I have a big house ______________________________ 9. Don’t do that again ______________________________ 10. Will you help me ______________________________ Read the conversation given below. Ruchitha : Hi, Ravali! How are you? Ravali : Fine, thank you. How about you? Ruchitha : I am fine. Where are you going? Ravali : I am going to school. Ruchitha : Isn’t your brother coming to school today? Ravali : No, he is not coming. Ruchitha : Why? What happened to him? Ravali : Today is his birthday. Ruchitha : Oh! Is it? By the way, when is the party? Blossoms - 4 40  Ravali : This evening around 8 o' clock. You please come to the party. Ruchitha : Yes, I do. Thank you for your invitation. Convey my wishes to your brother in advance. Look at the underlined words (how, where, what, why and when) in the above conversation. They are called 'Wh' words. We use these words to ask for information. Activity 10 Choose a suitable question word to complete the question. Q: __________ do you live? (What / Where / When) A: I live in Chandrala. Q: __________ old are you? (Why / How /Where) A: I am 9 years old. Q: _________ are you late? (How / What / Why) A: Because my brother is ill. Q: _________ do you celebrate your birthday? (When /Which /What) A: On 6th June. Q: __________ is your father? (When / What / Why) A: My father is a farmer. Activity 11 Now ask questions to get the answers given below: Q: ___________________________________ ? A: My name is Ayan. 41 Class - 4 English Reader  Q: ___________________________________ ? A: I am 9 years old. Q: ____________________________________? A: I live in Mylavaram. Q: ____________________________________ ? A: I am studying in 4th class. Q: ____________________________________ ? A: My father is a software Engineer. Q: ___________________________________ ? A: Mr. Raja Sekhar is our English Teacher. Q: ___________________________________ ? A: My birthday is on 6th June. Q: ___________________________________ ? A: My school's name is Mandal Parishad Primary School. Know your Dictionary: Words in a dictionary are usually arranged in alphabetical order. A dictionary tells us how a word is pronounced. A dictionary tells us what a word means. A dictionary shows us how a word is spelt. A dictionary tells us how a word is used. A dictionary shows us the different parts of speech of a word. Blossoms - 4 42 Observe the below pictures: pronunciation (/bri:z/ ) parts of speech( noun ) Breeze meaning ( a gentle wind ) usage (we feel cool breeze in Ooty) Activity 12 Complete the following table by using a ‘Dictionary’. Sl. No. Word Parts of Meaning speech 1 immediately 2 news 3 preparation 4 experience 5 quickly 6 scenery 43 Class - 4 English Reader Preparation of a Poster: Observe the following - Poster carefully: Answer the following questions: 1. What is this poster about? 2. Name the events mentioned in the poster? 3. What is the time and venue of the celebrations? 4. On what dates will the programme be conducted? 5. Have you ever visited this kind of celebrations? 6. Who are the targeted audience? Activity 13 Now work in groups. Prepare a poster on the 'Kite Festival' on the occasion of 'Sankranthi' in your village/city. Use the following hints from the help box. Poster name: Kite Festival – Place: outskirts of the village/City Time: 2pm to 5pm , Date: 15th January – Events: singing competitions, Rangoli Competitions – eligibility: people between 15 to 50 age group Blossoms - 4 44  KITE FESTIVAL Activity 14 Dictation: Listen to the teacher carefully and write down the paragraph dictated by your teacher. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. ………………………………………................................................................. TONGUE TWISTER : Read and practice the below tongue twisters used to build the tomb. I scream, you scream, Swan swam over the pond, we all scream, for ice Swim swan swim! cream! Swan swam back again - Well swum swan! Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. But, she said, "this bit of butter's bitter." 45 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 15 Project Work: Ask at least five of your friends about different places they visited. And ask them about the most interesting things in those places. Sl. No.1 is given as an example. Sl.No. Name of the Place Visited The interesting thing Person Suryalanka Beach, Beautiful waves of the sea. 1 Sk. Rafi Bapatla. 2 3 4 5 6 II. Now form a group of 3 or 4 members. Collect the data of each member in the group. Now find out what types of places your friend visited and what things or places interested them most. 1. Most of my friends visited ___________________________. 2. They liked ______________________________ very much. Blossoms - 4 46  Swami Vivekananda 4 UNIT Pre-reading Activity 1 Look at the picture and answer the following questions. 1. What do you see in the picture? 2. What are the children doing? 3. Can you identify the person in the books? 4. Tell a few words about the person in the books. 47 Class - 4 English Reader  Reading Swami Vivekananda "Take up one idea, make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success." -Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda, the great son of India, was born on 12th January, 1863 to Viswanath Dutta, and Bhuvaneswari Devi in Simulia, a small part of the big city Kolkata. He had a divine glow on his face. He was named Veereswara. But his name was too long for children to call. So everybody started calling him Narendra. His father was kind and helpful to the poor and needy. Apart from family duties, his mother spent time in singing and narrating stories from two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. The boy, Narendra, used to sit beside his mother listening to such stories. Blossoms - 4 48 Narendra's Childhood The childhood of Narendra was filled with incidents that showcased his courage, presence of mind and intelligence. He was very active, lovely and playful. He loved birds and animals. The qualities of leadership in him were visible since his childhood. His favourite game was 'The King and the Court'. He would always play the role of a king and his playmates were his ministers. He and his friends often practised meditation. While meditating, Narendra could sit for a long time and he would look like Little Buddha. One day, when they were meditating, a black snake came near them. All the children shouted and ran away but Narendra did not even move from his place. He had not opened his eyes. The snake crawled on the floor and left without doing any harm to him. Narendra at School Narendra was good at studies as well as games. He listened to the teacher carefully. He could remember whatever was taught by the teacher, he never forgot anything even if he listened to it only once. Once Narendra was punished at school. The Geography teacher asked him a question which he answered correctly. But the teacher thought that it was wrong and punished him. The boy protested, "I've not committed any error, sir, I am sure what I said is right." This made the teacher not only furious but also led to slap Narendra. 49 Class - 4 English Reader  When Narendra returned home, his eyes were filled with tears. He narrated everything to his mother. His mother consoled him and said, "My son, why do you worry if you are right? Always follow the truth, whatever may happen." Later, when the teacher realized his mistake, he regretted it. Narendra: a brave boy Narendra was a brave boy. One day while Narendra and his friends were playing in the garden, they heard a voice calling, 'Run! Run! Ghost! Ghost! There is a ghost in that tree'. Hearing these words all boys ran away in fear. But Narendra stood fearless and asked the gardener, "Where is the ghost? I don't see any ghost in the tree." Narendra becomes Swamy Vivekananda Narendra's nature of fearlessness, love for mankind and concentration made him one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the world. He became Swami Vivekananda. He was deeply inspired by the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and his teacher Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Blossoms - 4 50  GLOSSARY: narrate : explaining in detail, tell epic : story of a traditional hero intelligence : wisdom regret : feel sorry meditation : a devotional exercise, a deep concentration protest : making a strong objection console : comfort in a time of grief spiritual : sacred concentration : attention towards something Comprehension Activity 2 Answer the following questions: 1. Who were the parents of Vivekananda? 2. When was he born? 3. How was he called in his childhood? 4. What did he say to the teacher who punished him? 5. How did his mother console him? 6. Why didn't Narendra run away on hearing 'Ghost'? 7. Whose teachings inspired him? 51 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 3 Complete the following sentences by choosing correct options. 1. Vivekananda's favourite game was ________________ a) Kabaddi b) Football c) The King and his Court 2. Narendra was born in ____________________ a) Howrah b) Chennai c) Simulia 3. His mother used to narrate stories from _______________ a) The Vedas b) The Bible c) The Ramayana and The Mahabharata Activity 4 Read the following sentences to understand the meanings of the ‘word in context.’ Posture 1. He could sit in the same posture for a long time.(pose). 2. Our teacher observed the posture of the new student, who is very disobedient. Crawl 1. A snake crawled on the floor. (crept) 2. My younger son is just 6 months old, crawling now. Regret 1. When the teacher realized his mistake, he regretted it. (felt sorry). 2. Ms. Shalini behaved foolishly, later she regretted for her behaviour. Blossoms - 4 52 Showcase 1.The incidents of his childhood showcased his courage and intelligence. (exhibited). 2. Her language showcases her attitude. Inspire 1. Vivekananda was inspired by the teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. (motivated). 2. Gandhiji’s march to Dandi inspired many Indians. Committed 1. I have not committed any error. 2. Our class teacher, Venkat is committed to his work. Activity 5 Choose the contextual meaning of the underlined words in the following sentences. 1.He narrated everything to his mother. ( ) A) say B) tell C) told 2. Narendra is known for his intelligence. ( ) A) cleverness B) bold C) active 3. The passenger forgot his luggage in the train. ( ) A) recall B) reinforce C) failed to remember 53 Class - 4 English Reader 4. Our teacher observed the posture of the new student, who is very disobedient. ( ) A) poster B) structure C) pose 5. When the teacher realized his mistake, he regretted it. ( ) A) felt sorry B) felt happy C) joyful GRAMMAR Read the following sentence and observe the under-lined word. Vivekananda was born on 12th January 1863. In the above sentence‘on’is used before the date 12th January. It tells the relationship between the event or action ‘born’ and when it happened. It is called a preposition, and as it allows us to discuss a specific time period such as a date on the calendar, or one of the days of the week, or the actual time something takes place, we call it 'Preposition of Time.' Some Prepositions of Time are given below: At- it is used to discuss clock times, precise time. e.g. I shall meet you at 5 pm tomorrow. Our school starts at 8.45 am We clean our classroom at lunch time. In - it is used to discuss months, seasons, years, centuries, decades, or general times of a day. e.g. Sirisha’s birthday falls in December. Generally birds migrate in summer. Gandhiji was born in 1869. Blossoms - 4 54 On- it is used to discuss certain days of the week or portions of days of the week, or specific dates. e.g. Sachin will come on Monday. We celebrate Independence Day on 15th August. 55 Class - 4 English Reader Leela is very punctual. She always follows the time. Leela is doing many activities along with her studies. Here is her time table. Day Time Session Activity Monday 6 o’clock morning Yoga Tuesday 7 o’clock morning Dance practice Wednesday 5 o’clock evening Playing cricket Thursday 7 o’clock evening Music class Friday 4 o’clock evening Watching cartoon movies Saturday 8 o’clock night Reading stories Sunday 6 o’clock evening Playing with friends Activity 6 Fill in the blanks with prepositions of time from the above table. One is done for you. e.g. Leela does yoga at 6 o’clock in the morning on Monday. 1. Leela practises dance__________________ Tuesday. 2. Leela plays cricket______5 pm 3. Leela goes to the music class __________________Thursday. 4. Leela watches cartoon movies _____ pm _____Friday. 5. Leela reads stories_____night. 6. Leela plays with her friends __________________Sunday. Blossoms - 4 56  Activity 7 Read the following conversation. Ram: When do you wake up daily in the morning? John: I wake up at 5 am daily. Ram: Do you go for a walk every day? John: Yes, I go for a walk every day in the evening. Ram: Do you drink milk every day? John: Yes, I drink milk every day at night. Ram: Do you read story books? John: Yes, I read story books. Activity 8 Read the following conversation. Tourist: We want to go to Vivekananda Rock. Would you guide us? Tour guide: Sure, I will. Tourist: How much do you charge? Tour guide: Rs.500/- per day. We have to go there by a ferry. Tourist: What's a ferry? Tour guide: A small boat. Tourist: How much are we charged for it? 57 Class - 4 English Reader  Tour guide: Rs.100/- per head. Tourist: Could you show us all the places there? Tour guide: Certainly. Tourist: Shall we start now? Tour guide: With pleasure. Activity 9 Read the following statements and say whether they are denoting habitual actions or not. 1. My father reads the newspaper everyday…….. yes/no 2. He cooked food deliciously………………....... yes/no 3. We play in the evening everyday…………. yes/no 4. India won the world cup in 1983…………….yes/no 5. Generally she helps the poor………………. yes/no 6. She often goes to the cinema…………………… yes/no. We use the simple present tense to denote habitual actions. e.g. She sings songs on Independence Day every year. We play every day in the evening. Activity 10 Dictation: The teacher reads aloud the following sentences and asks the children to write them down in their note book / workbook. Blossoms - 4 58  1. Vivekananda was born on 12 th January. 2. His favourite game was 'The King and the Court'. 3. He was good at studies as well as games. 4. He was a brave boy. Read the following sample biographical sketch of Mahatma Gandhi. Activity 11 Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2nd October, 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. His father’s name was Karamchand Gandhi, mother’s name was Putlibai. He was a lawyer. He fought against the British, for freedom. He preached Non-violence (ahimsa). Activity 12 Now, write a biographical note of any friend with help of the hints given below. (Name, place of birth, date of birth, parents, studies, achievements) ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 59 Class - 4 English Reader POEM Kind Words Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of the gardens, And keep them from weeds. Fill, fill them with flowers, Kind words and kind deeds. - Henry W. Long fellow About the Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 - March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", "The Song of Hiawatha", and "Evangeline." He was also the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and was one of the Fireside Poets from New England. Blossoms - 4 60 Comprehension Activity 13 Answer the following questions: 1. What are the gardens according to the poet? 2. Why are kind thoughts compared to roots? 3. When should we take care of the garden? 4. Where do we find weeds? 5. Who takes care of the gardens? Tongue Twister Read the following sentences as quickly as possible. Amidst the mist and coldest frosts, With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts, He thrusts his fists against the posts, And still insists he sees the (g) hosts. 61 Class - 4 English Reader  The Magic Fish 5 UNIT Pre-reading Activity 1 Look at the pictures of a dog given below. For the teacher: Ask the children to observe the pictures carefully and make them discuss the theme of the story. Now, answer the following questions. 1. What do you think is happening in the pictures? 2. Number the pictures as per their occurrence. 3. What do you learn from it? Blossoms - 4 62  Reading The Magic Fish Abhiram was a fisherman. He lived with his wife in a little hut near the sea. He went down to the sea every day to catch fish. One day, a strange thing happened. He caught a big golden fish in his net. When Abhiram took the fish out of water, the fish began to speak. "O fisherman, please let me go." Abhiram was very surprised. He was a kind man. He let the fish go. Abhiram went home empty- handed. He told his wife about the fish. His wife was greedy and unkind. "Foolish man! Why did you let the fish go? Go back to the sea and call the fish. It must be a magic fish. Ask the fish to grant us a big house with a huge garden." 63 Class - 4 English Reader  So Abhiram went back to the sea and called the fish. "O fish, please grant me a wish." The fish popped up its head out of the blue sea and said, "Let me know your wish." "I want a big house with a huge garden for my wife." "Go back home. Your wish is granted." Abhiram went back home. In the place of his little hut, he saw a big house with a garden. "What a beautiful house!" he said to himself. Some days passed. Abhiram's wife forced him and said, "This house is not enough. I want to live in a palace. Go and ask the fish for a palace." So, Abhiram went back to the sea again and called the fish, and said: "O fish, please grant me another wish." There were big waves in the sea. The fish came out and asked, "What is your wish?" "My wife wants a palace now." "Okay! Go back home. Your wish is granted." Abhiram went back home. In place of the big house, he saw a beautiful palace. "What a beautiful p a l a c e ! " t h o u g h t Abhiram. Blossoms - 4 64  In the palace, his wife sat on a throne of gold and diamonds. She wore a crown. "Are you happy, now?"asked Abhiram. "We shall see," said his wife. After a few days, Abhiram's wife called him, "This is not enough for me. Now I want to be the ruler of the sea." said his wife proudly. "What are you asking for? It is not right." said Abhiram. But his wife didn't listen and became angry. "Go to the fish at once!" she shouted. Abhiram went back to the sea and called the fish again, "O fish, please grant me one more wish." When the fish came, there was a storm in the sea. The fish looked angry and serious. "What is it, now?" "My wife wants to be the ruler of the sea," said Abhiram in a low voice. Not a word spoke the golden fish in answer. It just showed its tail, and disappeared into the depths of the sea. Knowing that the last wish would make the fish a slave to the wife's desires, the golden fish cured her greed by returning her little hut. Abhiram went back home. In place of the palace, he saw his little hut. His wife had to live in that hut once again. 65 Class - 4 English Reader  GLOSSARY: strange - unusual pop up - appear suddenly palace - royal/official residence storm - a violent weather with strong winds throne - royal seat Comprehension Activity 2 I) Answer the following questions. 1. Who was Abhiram? 2. A strange thing happened one day. What was it? 3. How did his wife respond when he went home empty-handed? 4. Did the golden fish fulfill all the wishes of Abhiram’s wife? Why? 5. What is the moral of the story? 6. If you were Abhiram, what wish would you ask the fish? II) Complete the passage using the words given in the box. golden, requested, wife, fishing, go, hut Abhiram lived with his ________in a little ______ near the sea. Every day he went for _________. One day he caught a big _______fish in his net. The golden fish ______________ him to put it back in to the sea. Then he let the fish ___________ into the sea. Blossoms - 4 66  Activity 3 Who said these dialogues and to whom? Dialogues Who said To whom 1. "O fisherman, please let me go." 2. "Foolish man! Why did you let the fish go? 3. "Are you happy, now?" 4. "Go Back home, your wish is granted." 5. "Go to the fish at once!" Activity 4 Make new words using the letters of the given word. One is done for you. fisherman fish man name she beautiful ____ ____ ____ ____ strange ____ ____ ____ ____ throne ____ ____ ____ ____ 67 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 5 Solve the crossword with the opposites of the words given as clues. Across Down 3.kind 1.foolish 4.tall 2.happy 5.beautiful 4.big 6.serious 7.near 8. grant Activity 6 Read the following words and write at least one sentence about each. e.g. Hut: The hut was near the sea. pop up: _____________________________________ surprise: _____________________________________ enough: _____________________________________ grant: _____________________________________ ruler: _____________________________________ Activity 7 Tongue twister: Say the given sentence as quickly as possible. Fresh fried fish Fish fresh fried Fried fish fresh Fish fried fresh Blossoms - 4 68  Activity 8 Look at the following sentences taken from the lesson. 1. He lived with his wife in a little hut. 2. Abhiram’s wife called him. 3. He caught a big golden fish. 4. She wore a crown. The words in bold letters are in simple past tense. In sentences 1 and 2, the verbs end in –‘ed’ where as verbs in sentences 3 and 4 they do not end in –ed. The verbs that end in –ed are called regular verbs and other verbs are called irregular verbs. All these verbs express completed actions. Activity 9 Now pick out regular and irregular verbs from the lesson and put them in the columns given below. Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs 69 Class - 4 English Reader  Activity 10 Read the following sentences from the story. 1. “ O fisherman, please let me go.” 2. “ Foolish man! Why did you let the fish go?” 3. “ What a beautiful palace ! ” said Abhiram.  Did you observe the highlighted punctuation?  Do you know why they are used? In the above sentences, we used quotation marks to refer to the actual words spoken by the speaker. These are known as inverted commas ( “...” ). Now let us see some more examples from the story. 1. The golden fish said, “ Go back home. Your wish is granted.” 2. Abhiram said, “My wife wants a palace now.” 3. Abhiram’s wife said, “I want to be the ruler of the sea.” Activity 11 Read the following sentences and use Inverted commas ( “...” ) wherever necessary. 1. My mother said, Never tell lies. 2. Did you finish the project work? asked the teacher. 3. The children replied, We are ready to learn. 4. Revathi said, How interesting this film is! Blossoms - 4 70  Activity 12 Conversation Abhiram returned from the sea after talking to the golden fish. Abhiram's wife is waiting for him in the palace. Now complete the conversation between Abhiram and his wife. Abhiram's wife : Welcome dear! Abhiram : Oh,What a beautiful palace it is! Abhiram's wife : Yes, I like this palace very much. Abhiram : We should thank the golden fish for this. Are you happy now? Abhiram's wife : ___________________________ Abhiram : _________________________________ Abhiram's wife :____________________________ Abhiram : _________________________________ Abhiram's wife :____________________________ Abhiram :_________________________________ Activity 13 Listen to your teacher and answer the following questions. All children are at school. Latha is drawing pictures in the classroom. She is sitting on a bench beside Neha. Teja is at school too. He is reading a newspaper in the library. He is sitting on a chair. Vani and Rani are also at school. They are playing in the ground. Some children are watering the plants in the garden. At this moment, the teacher is calling everyone to come into the classroom. 71 Class - 4 English Reader Answer the following questions in a complete sentence? 1.What is Latha doing in the classroom? A.__________________________________________________________________. 2.Who is sitting beside Neha? A.__________________________________________________________________. 3.What is Teja doing? A.__________________________________________________________________. 4.Who are playing in the ground? A.__________________________________________________________________. 5.Why is the teacher calling everyone to come into the classroom? A.__________________________________________________________________. Activity 14 Look at the following picture and say some sentences using the 'ing' form (am/ is/are+action word+ing). e.g. Abhi is fishing. Blossoms - 4 72  Activity 15 Read the following sentences.  We are playing cricket.  Madhu is swinging.  Rani and Geetha are sliding.  They are running. The underlined part indicates that the action is in progress. So they are in present continuous tense. Now, go through the following table and frame at least ten sentences. I am reading a book. playing kabaddi. You are going to market. We riding the bicycle. They coming to school. watching T.V. drinking water. He is drawing a picture. She travelling by bus. It eating a mango. e.g. I am reading a book. 1. _____________________________________________. 2. _____________________________________________. 3. _____________________________________________. 4. _____________________________________________. 73 Class - 4 English Reader  5. _____________________________________________. 6. _____________________________________________. 7. _____________________________________________. 8. _____________________________________________. 9. _____________________________________________. 10. ____________________________________________ Activity 16 Language game: Name of the game: Act and say Objective: Children express ongoing actions using the ‘present continuous form’ Materials required: A small box, paper slips containing ongoing actions written in them. Process:  Put all the written slips (such as reading, jumping, crying, laughing, eating, drinking, sleeping, drawing, etc...) in a small box.  Ask the students to form some groups.  Ask one student to come and pick up a slip from the box.  Ask him/her to mime the action written on the slip.  The other group will have to identify the word and say aloud the action using the ‘present continuous tense’. Blossoms - 4 74  The Seed of Truth 6 UNIT Pre-reading Activity 1 Read the conversation given below. Ravi : Hey Madhu, how are you? Madhu : I am not feeling good with the people around us. Ravi : What happened? Madhu : People are not honest most of the times which is not good. Ravi : Yes, Madhu! You are right, some people are always lying. I faced many situations. Madhu : Honesty means to be truthful for a person in all the aspects of life. It involves not to tell lies to anybody, never hurt anyone through bad habits, activities or behaviour. An honest person never 75 Class - 4 English Reader  gets involved in the activities that are morally wrong. Ravi : Yes Madhu, you are right, but people do not understand it. Read the following statements and say whether they are true or false. Put a tick mark. 1. Honesty means to be truthful in all aspects ………..true/ false 2. An honest man tells lies…………………………….true / false 3. An honest man never hurts anyone with his behaviour…..true / false 4. An honest man gets involved in morally wrong activities….true / false Reading The Seed of Truth Read the passage carefully Vidyadhara was the king of Gandhara. He was a just and wise king. The king was fond of gardening. He spent a lot of time in gardening. The king did not have children. As the king grew older, everyone got more and more worried. Who would take over the kingdom after him? To find a successor, the king thought of an idea. He decided to distribute some seeds to all the children in the country. The child who grows the biggest, healthiest plant will become the prince or the princess. They can take three months for it. The king ordered his minister to make an announce- ment. The next day, a long line of anxious parents and children gathered outside the palace to get a seed and to grow the best plant. Blossoms - 4 76  Pingala, a poor farmer's son too got a seed from the king. He sowed it in a pot in his garden. He took great care of the seed. Pingala watered and added manure to the seed. But the seed did not sprout. Desperately Pingala changed the soil and transferred the seed to another pot. Weeks and months passed. But nothing happened. The next day he saw children walking to the palace with their well-grown plants. Pingala stood watching them sadly. Pingala's father observed his son working hard to make the seed sprout. He felt sorry for Pingala. He said to his son "Take the empty pot. At least the king will know that you tried your best." So Pingala joined the others outside the palace, holding the empty pot in his hand. The other children laughed at him. The king arrived and looked at the plants.The children gathered in the courtyard of the palace with flowery pots. Red, blue, yellow... The courtyard had turned into a beautiful garden. The king looked at the children amazingly. Their faces were shining with hope. But the king was not at all happy. At the end of the line, stood Pingala. When the king reached the boy, he stopped. ''Why did you come with an empty pot, my child? Did your seed not grow into a plant?" The king enquired. Pingala held his head down and said, ''Forgive me, Your Highness! I tried my best to grow the seed. I gave the best soil and manure to it. But the seed did not grow.'' The boy felt sad. 77 Class - 4 English Reader  A smile appeared on the king's face. He hugged Pingala and announced, ''Here is the crown prince! I had given everyone roasted seeds, which would never grow. Only this boy is honest. I am sure, one day, he will rule this kingdom justly.'' GLOSSARY: successor = heir anxious = worried sow = place (in earth or a pot) seed (s) manure = fertilizer sprout = grow from a seed ignore = neglect just = fair Comprehension Activity 2 Answer the following questions 1. Who was the king of Gandhara? 2. What was he fond of? 3. What did the king distribute to the children in his kingdom? 4. Did Pingala's seed sprout? 5. Why did the seed not sprout? 6. How did the other children make their seed sprout? Blossoms - 4 78 Complete the following sentences by choosing correct options 7. Vidhyadhara was a ……………..............king. a) just and wise b) cruel and foolish c) sharp and short. 8. The king had ……………..............children. a) hundred b) no c) ten 9. Pingala's father was …………….............. a) police man b) a rich business man c) a poor farmer Read the following sentences:- The king said, "This boy is honest. I am sure, he will rule this kingdom." The opposite words for the above underlined words are dishonest and unsure. They are simply formed by prefixing 'dis' and 'un-'. Activity 3 Write the opposite words for the underlined words in the following sentences using 'un-' or 'dis-'. Ramesh is happy now. --------------------- We like it. --------------------- Please, lock the door. --------------------- You obey the order. ---------------------- She is very kind to animals. ------------------- 79 Class - 4 English Reader Learn some more opposite words by prefixing 'il-', 'im-', 'in-'. il- im- in- legal - illegal polite - impolite direct - indirect literate - illeterate mortal - immortal active - inactive legible - illegible mature - immature correct - incorrect Activity 4 Choose the appropriate opposites from the given options. 1. healthy ( ) a) unhealthy b) inhealthy c) dishealthy 2. appear ( ) a) nonappear b)disappear c) unappear 3. mortal ( ) a) immortal b) unmortal c) nonmortal 4. direct ( ) a) undirect b) indirect c) nondirect. 5. legal ( ) a) illegal b) unlegal c) nonlegal Blossoms - 4 80  GRAMMAR Read the following sentence in the story. The king said, "I will distribute seeds to all the children". The action 'will distribute' has not happened yet. That will begin and end in the future. Now let's see some more examples. I shall go to Delhi next week. He will come to school tomorrow. Pranathi will get the first rank. In all the above sentences the actions have not yet taken place, they will happen sometime in the future. The verbs shall go, will come, will get are said to be in simple future tense. Activity 5 Complete the following blanks by changing the given verb into simple future tense. 1) Dinesh ………… (buy) a car next year. 2) It ……….. (rain) tomorrow. 3) She ………. (call) you next week. 4) Dhoni