West Bengal Board
The axe
Activity 1
Identify which of the following statements are True and which are False. Give a supporting statement for each of your answers:
(1) Velan was very happy in the big house. [True]
Supporting statement - Velan was perfectly contented and happy.
(2) The other people of the big house were not so happy. [False]
Supporting statement - the people in the big house too seemed to be equally at peace with life.
(3) No tenant remained in the house for more than a few months. [True]
Supporting statement - No one remained for more than a few months.
(4) People started avoiding the house. [True]
Supporting statement - It came to be known as the “Ghost House," and people avoided it.
Activity 2
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) One midnight he was told that the master was dead.
(b) The sons of the late owner left the keys of the house with Velan.
(c) The house acquired the reputation of being haunted.
(d) Even the owners dropped the practice of coming and seeing the house.
Activity 3
Answer the following questions:
(a) Who was Velan?
Answer - Velan was a gardener.
(b) Did the tenants have any regard for the garden?
Answer - No, the tenants had no regard for a garden.
(c) Did the owners of the house visit the house frequently?
Answer - No, the owners of the house visited the house occasionally.
(d) How did the house acquire the reputation of a ‘Ghost House’?
Answer - No tenant remained for more than a few moths and because of lack of maintenance work the house was in ruins and looked like haunted house. Thus the name ‘Ghost House.’
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Activity 4
Fill in the chart below with information from the text:
| Cause | Effect |
| (i) One day a car sounded its horn angrily at the gate. | (i) Velan hobbled up with the keys. |
| (ii) Velan cleared the vegetation which blocked the entrance. | (ii) The gates opened on rusty hinges, creaking and groaning. |
| (iii) The house is sold to a company. They are not going to have a garden. | (iii) Velan was ordered to go back to his village. |
| (iv) Velan requested the tree-cutters not to cut down the trees until he went away from that place. | (iv) The tree – cutters laid down their axes. |
Activity 5
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. Someone from the car ordered Velan to open the gate.
2. One of the sons of the old masters told Velan that he would have to go back to his village.
3. Velan retired to his old hut.
4. Velan rushed out and saw four men hacking the massive trunk of the old margosa tree.
Activity 6
Answer the following questions:
1. Who bought the house?
Answer - A company bought the house.
2. Did they need a garden?
Answer - No, they did not need a garden.
3. What was the order of the company?
Answer - The Company was not going to have the garden. They are going to build small houses by the score without leaving space even for a blade of grass.
4. What was Velan's request to the tree-cutters?
Answer - Velan requested the tree-cutters not to cut down the trees until he went away from that place.
Activity 7
Choose the correct alternative from the bracket and fill in the blanks:
(a) Binota studied harder (harder / more harder) than me.
(b) Rupa sang more sweetly (most sweetly / more sweetly) than her sister.
(c) Mita did more badly (worse/ more badly) than Ruby in the music competition.
(d) Among the gymnasts in the championship, Mihir scored the least (less / least).
Activity 8
Choose the correct adverb from the box and fill in the blanks. One is done for you.
[more gracefully, radiantly, least nervous, earliest, more composed]
There was no one in the hall when Sumana arrived. She was the earliest there. Soon, other dancers came. Sumana looked the least nervous among the competitors. Her steps were more composedthan the other girls on the stage. Her face glowed radiantlyas she performed more gracefully than the other dancers on the stage.
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Activity 9
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb
(a) The news is (is / are) shocking.
(b) The children play (plays /play) cricket in the park.
(c) Both Laboni and Soma love (love/loves) outdoor games.
(d) The hotel manager and his staff make(make / makes) the guests feel comfortable.
(e) Many women today work (works / work) outside the home.
Activity 10
Fill in the blanks with the words given below:
[Retired, blocked, excellent, orders, tenant]
(a) We have a new tenant in our house.
(b) The singer has an excellent voice.
(c) The road was blocked due to an accident.
(d) The job was done according to the ordersof the manager.
(e) My father retired from his job last year.
Activity 11
Write the appropriate Plural Nouns of the following. One is done for you:
A. more than one woman: Women
B. more than one man: Men
C. more than one person: People
D. more than one goose: Geese
E. more than one mouse: Mice
F. more than one barrack: Barracks
Activity 12 (a)
Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to the marriage ceremony of your uncle.
Answer:
2 no road, Bakpur
Nadia 710256
14th Nov. 2021
Dear Raghu,
Hello Raghu I am very glad to know that you have scored 5th rank in West Bengal Civil Service . A great congrats from my Bottom of my heart.
Next week is my uncle's wedding so I humbly invite you and your Family on this occasion. And yes when you will come and you will have to stay for at least 2 weeks. We will have a great fun.
Say hello to Uncle and Aunty
Yours Friendly
Madan
Kakapur 1
Bolpur - 713025
Activity 12 (b)
Imagine yourself to be the friend whom the letter was sent to. Now write a reply
to the letter accepting the invitation.
Kakapur 1
Bolpur - 713025
19th Nov, 2021
Dear Madan,
I hope you are in great n health and spirits. Congratulations for your uncle's wedding! Thanks for the wedding invitation and the sweets. I will surely attend the happy occasion. I will reach two days in advance. If you want me to assist you in the wedding arrangements, I may come a week before. Do let me know.
Say hello to Uncle and Aunty
Yours affectionately,
Raghu
Activity 13
Write a story with the help of the following points:
[Frogs lived in a pond - boys hit stones and hurt the frogs - a frog asked, "Why are you throwing stones?" - boys replied, "We are playing" death to us" - boys felt sorry - stopped sport]
Boys and the Frog Story
Once upon a time there lived some boys in a small village. There was a pond in the end of their village. One day they were playing at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of frogs. The boys amused themselves by throwing stones into the pond so as to make them skip on top of the water. They were very happy to doing these types of naughtiness.
The stones were flying solid and fast and the boys were enjoying themselves very much; but the poor frogs in the pond were trembling with fear. Some of them already died with this hard stone.
At last one of the frogs, the youngest and bravest, put his head out of the water, and said, “Oh my dear friends please stop your ruthless play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death to us!”
Moral: Always think whether your fun is the cause of another’s unhappiness. If yes then stop this fun
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