3Fill the grid with missing letters — qualities of an inventor.

Answer

These five words describe the essential qualities every inventor needs — the ability to think of new ideas, a desire to explore how things work, the courage to try even when something might fail, the persistence to keep trying, and the imagination to see possibilities others don’t.

IIDo you think Anand was able to keep his promise regarding the time machine? If yes, why? If no, why not?

AnswerNo, Anand did not keep his promise. Ma had made him promise not to touch the time machine until they returned from Kharagpur. However, that same night, when the thief Boppa broke into the house, the “time machine” room made loud noises — thumps, a whine, and humming — proving that Anand had switched it on despite his word. This shows he was too excited and impulsive about his invention to hold back, even for one night.

2Extract 2 — “I was about to direct him upstairs… a low, humming sound.”

(i) Anita was angry with Anand because he misdirected the thief to their own bedroom instead of their parents’ room, putting both of them in direct danger.

(ii) Anand’s quick thinking to send the thief to the wrong room (his own room, instead of his father’s room) shows his presence of mind — it bought them precious time since the thief would struggle to find the light switch there.

(iii) B. Anand’s time machine getting activated.

(iv) (c) C and E — tense and suspenseful.

IIIAnswer the following questions.

1. What prompted Anand to create the burglar alarm?
A recent rush of thefts in the colony made Anand feel that a burglar alarm was needed to protect the house.

2. How did Anand’s father become the target of the burglar alarm?
Anand had rigged the alarm to trigger only when the door was opened gently, assuming a thief would open it stealthily. But Papa always opens the door softly himself, so he set off the alarm and got drenched by the water bag instead of any thief.

3. How did Anand’s parents and sister react to his ideas?
Papa reacted with anger and firmness, refusing to let Anand experiment further. Ma was more indulgent and sympathetic, often softening Papa’s refusals and feeling sorry for Anand. Anita was reluctantly involved, skeptical of his plans, but always ended up helping him while making sure she wouldn’t be blamed if things went wrong.

4. How did Anand behave when he was on his ‘inventing binges’?
He became completely absorbed — hammering, sawing and creating a racket, dismantling household gadgets to collect parts, refusing to let anyone into his room, and even neglecting to comb his hair.

5. Why did Mr. Sharma not believe Anand when he spoke about his time machine?
Mr. Sharma assumed Anand was simply a child with a wild, overactive imagination, and did not think it was possible for a boy to have actually built a working time machine, so he dismissed the claim indulgently as childish fantasy.

6. Give an ending to this story, explaining what might have happened to Boppa.
(Sample/creative answer) Perhaps Boppa, in his panic to escape the strange whirring machine, stumbled through the dark and out of a back window that Anita and Anand hadn’t noticed, dropping his scarf in his hurry — meaning he simply fled the scene rather than being transported through time, though the mystery keeps the family (and Anand’s imagination) guessing forever.

IIBinomials — match, then complete the sentences.

Sentences

1. This project will be a make-or-break moment for our team’s success.
2. After a long journey, we were relieved to arrive home safe and sound.
3. Every friendship works well when there is a balance of give and take.
4. She organised all the odds and ends in the cupboard, to make space for new clothes.
5. Before making a decision, it is important to weigh the pros and cons carefully.
6. This is our final chance to perform on stage, it is now or never.

IIIIdioms — complete the sentences.

1. Shekhar knew he would get a shelling for breaking his mother’s favourite flower vase.
2. We fell over ourselves trying to help the injured dog and get it to the vet as quickly as possible.
3. Faizy distracted Kanchan, leaving the coast clear for us to get inside the room to prepare the birthday surprise.
4. The constant power fluctuations during meetings can get on our nerves.
5. When I am alone at home, any unexpected loud noise in the night can frighten me half to death.

IV.2Fill in the blanks with simple past / past perfect.

(i) After Rohan A. had finished his homework, he B. decided to go for a walk. He C. left the house and D. realised he E. had forgotten his keys inside.

(ii) By the time we A. reached the station, the train B. had already left. We C. waited for the next one to arrive.

✎Let Us Write — Sample paragraph on a vocation (Chef)

I would like to become a chef because I enjoy experimenting with flavours and creating dishes that make people happy. To pursue this vocation, one needs formal training at a culinary institute along with years of hands-on kitchen experience. A chef requires tools such as knives, ovens, mixers, and precise measuring equipment. I would work alongside fellow cooks, bakers, and kitchen assistants, and teamwork is essential — a professional kitchen runs smoothly only when everyone communicates and coordinates well during service. I would treat customers with warmth, take their feedback seriously, and always aim to exceed their expectations. Above all, I plan to pursue this profession with dedication and pride, treating every dish as a reflection of my hard work and creativity.

IIThe theme of the poem is —

(iv) 1, 2 and 4 — innocence, imagination and playfulness.

IVComplete the sentence about tone and mood.

The tone is gentle and wishful, and the mood is thoughtful.

VIFill in the blanks with suitable words from the poem.

1. The repetition of the words “day by day” and “one by one” emphasises the passage of time.
2. The poet uses imagery like “white bulging sails” and “midnight stars” to create a clear picture in the minds of the readers.

IIAnswer the following questions.

1. Why do you think the poet writes his personal details on the paper boats?
He writes his name and village so that whoever finds the boat in a “strange land” will know who sent it — reflecting a child’s innocent wish to be known and connected to the wider world beyond his home.

2. The poet talks about the imagination of a child. Support this view with examples.
The child imagines clouds as playmates who race his boats through the sky, believes shiuli flowers will safely “land” in some distant place by night, and dreams that fairies of sleep sail in his boats carrying baskets full of dreams — all fantastical ideas that only a child’s imagination could conjure from something as ordinary as folded paper on a stream.

3. How does the poet bring together imagination and reality to make the poem more interesting?
The poet grounds the poem in real, everyday objects — a stream, paper boats, flowers, clouds — and then layers pure imagination on top of them (clouds as playmates, fairies of sleep, boats “racing” through the sky). This blending of the ordinary and the magical lets readers relate to the scene while also enjoying the wonder of a child’s inner world.

IISort the time-of-day words into categories.

✎Let Us Write — Sample Diary Entry

2“I sit in stillness, but move with the wind… Can you guess what I am, after all?”

Answer: A Pond/Lake. It stays still but ripples with the wind, reflects its surroundings, and is home to ducks, frogs, and fish.

4“I have a bed, but I do not sleep… Can you guess, who I can be?”

Answer: A River. It has a “bed” and “banks,” carries stories (silt/history) from mountains to the ocean, and journeys far to meet the sea.

2Extract — Goa/plateaus and tunnels passage.

(i) The speaker chooses to stay awake because she loves looking out of the window at the beautiful night scenery passing by.

(ii) She means that the plateaus are so strikingly beautiful that words alone can’t capture it — she wants her friends to picture (or one day see) the scene for themselves.

(iii) A. from fear to comfort — she used to be afraid of tunnels but is not anymore.

(iv) Her wish to share the experience indicates her sense of connection as well as the value she places on shared experiences with her peers.

IIMatch situations with the associated words.

VSubject-Verb Agreement — choose the correct option.

1. A pair of sunglasses is essential when travelling to sunny destinations.
2. Either the tour guide or the tourists have to arrive first at the meeting point.
3. The information on travel expenses is useful for first-time travellers.
4. Neither the flight crew nor the pilot was aware of the delay.
5. The news about the heavy rains makes many people reconsider their vacation plans.
6. A pair of binoculars is useful for spotting wildlife on a safari.
7. The hill stations in India remain a popular travel destination during winter.
8. Keeping accounts is important for spending money wisely during travel.
9. Either the ticket or the bus passes need to be used for travelling in the tourist bus.
10. Neither the passengers nor the taxi driver was aware of the best route to the hotel.

2Another name for agarwood trees?

(i) gharuwood — also called aloeswood or eaglewood.

4How is agarwood formed?

(iii) when the tree gets infected — the tree produces a dark, sticky substance (agar oil) to protect itself from a bug or virus.