Class 8 English Solution New Course | Unit 19 A Tale of Two Birds- I

Unit 19

Reading I

A Tale of Two Birds

A. Find the words from the text that have the following meanings:

a. Nestlings-i. young birds that have not yet learned to fly

b. Wicked- ii. evil or morally wrong

c. Tranquil- iii. peaceful

d. Hermitage- iv. the dwelling of a hermit

e. Hermit- v. a person living in solitude as a religious disciple

f. Robbers- vi. someone who steals money or property

g. Imitates- vii. copy the way a person speaks or behaves

B. Put the following events of the story in the correct order:

c. A bird and its two nestlings lived in a forest.

a. The tall tree in which the birds had their nest fell down.

b. The mother bird was killed; however, the nestlings survived.

d. The other nestling lived near a hermitage.

g. The robbers were informed by a brown bird about the arrival of the king.

e. The bird welcomed the king and requested him to be comfortable at the hermitage.

f. The hermit told the king that one was known by the company one kept.

C. Read the story again and answer the following questions:

a. What caused the tall tree to fall down?

The big storm caused the tall tree to fall down.

b. Where were the nestlings blown to?

The nestlings were blown to different places. One landed near a cave where robbers lived, and the other landed near a hermitage.

c. Was the king able to catch the deer? How do you know?

No, the king was not able to catch the deer. It is mentioned that the deer ran deep into the forest, followed by the king, and the king lost his way.

d. Why do you think the brown bird informed the robbers about the arrival of the king?

The brown bird informed the robbers about the arrival of the king possibly because it had made friends with the robbers and imitated their behaviour.

e. Why did the king not fight with the other robber's gang?

The king did not fight with the robber's gang because they were more in number, and the king decided not to mess with them.

D. One is known by the company one keeps. Do you agree with the statement? Discuss.

Yes, I agree with the statement "One is known by the company one keeps." The people we spend time with have a big impact on our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. If we surround ourselves with positive people who are kind, caring, and supportive, we are more likely to become positive people ourselves. On the other hand, if we surround ourselves with negative people who are mean, selfish, and destructive, we are more likely to become negative people ourselves.

Grammar I

A. Match the sentences in the left column with their indirect speech in the right column.

a. The teacher said to the boys, "Have you done your homework?" - iv. The teacher asked the boys if they had done their homework.

b. The little girl said to the man, "Will you help me?" -viii. The little girl asked the man to help her.

c. Ridish said, "I have been reading this book." -vi. Ridish said that he had been reading that book.

d. My mother said to me, "Go and change your dress." -i. My mother told me to go and change my dress.

e. Rita said, "I had read this book before I gave it to you." -ii. Rita said that she had read that book before she had given it to me.

f. Alish said, "I will bring my guitar." -iii. Alish said that he would bring his guitar.

g. The boss told the clerk, "Bring me that file." -x. The boss ordered the clerk to bring her that file.

h. Prima asked, "Have you read that book?"- ix. Prima asked if I had read that book.

i. Rabina said to Shambhu, "Where is our watch?"- v. Rabina asked Shambhu where his watch was.

j. Sophia said, "What do you want?"- vii. Sophia inquired what I wanted.

B. Change the following sentences into indirect speech. Use the reporting clauses given.

a. "I'm coming now."

She told me that she was coming then.

b. "Please, help me get to the hospital."

He requested me to help him get to the hospital.

c. "Can you give me your phone number?"

She asked me if I could give her my phone number.

d. "Reshma does not work."

He said that Reshma does not work.

e. "Where is he?"

She asked me where he was.

f. "Come here at once."

She commanded me to come there at once.

g. "What are you doing?"

She asked me what I was doing.

h. "Do you work in a factory?"

She asked him if he worked in a factory.

i. "Why did you go out last night?"

She asked why I had gone out the previous night.

j. "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

She told me that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Writing I

Write a story beginning with 'Two friends were walking along the forest.......'

A Helping Hand

Two friends were walking along the forest. They were enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful scenery. They were talking and laughing, and they were having a great time.

Suddenly, they heard a noise. They stopped talking and listened. The noise came again. It sounded like someone was crying.

The friends followed the sound of the crying. They came to a clearing, and they saw a little girl sitting on the ground. She was crying and holding her knee.

The friends asked the little girl what was wrong. She told them that she had fallen and hurt her knee. The friends helped the little girl up, and they cleaned and bandaged her knee.

The little girl was very grateful to the friends for helping her. She asked them their names. The friends told her their names, and they asked her name. She told them her name was Sarah.

The friends and Sarah talked for a while. They talked about their families, their friends, and their hobbies. They also talked about the forest. Sarah told the friends about all the animals that lived in the forest.

The friends and Sarah had a lot of fun together. They laughed and talked, and they enjoyed each other's company. When it was time for the friends to go, Sarah was sad to see them go. She promised to visit them again soon.

The friends waved goodbye to Sarah, and they continued on their walk. They were all feeling happy and content. They had made a new friend, and they had helped someone in need. It had been a good day.