Class 6 › English › Poorvi Friendship Class 6 English · Poorvi · Chapter 2
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Unit 2 of Poorvi explores the meaning of true friendship through three readings. The prose story 'The Unlikely Best Friends' by Subba Rao tells of Gajaraj, a royal elephant who is lonely despite all his comforts, until a stray dog named Buntee wanders into his stable. The two become inseparable, bathing and playing together, until a farmer takes Buntee home. Both friends stop eating out of sadness, so the kind farmer finally sets Buntee free to return to Gajaraj, and even the mahout and the farmer become friends. The poem 'A Friend's Prayer' by Jill Wolf is a gentle prayer asking that friendship always stay important, that one give one's best to friends, and that one love friends just as they are without judging them. The third piece, 'The Chair', tells of a boastful boy named Mario who claims to have countless friends. His grandfather gives him an invisible magic chair, betting a plate of fruit chaat that Mario does not have as many real friends as he thinks. At school Mario keeps falling while trying to sit on the chair, and only three true friends, Guneet, Asma and Deepa, hold him up so he will not fall, while the others laugh. Mario learns that real friends care for us and never enjoy our misfortune. Together the readings teach loyalty, acceptance, kindness and the value of true friends. Refer to the illustration in the NCERT textbook.
1 Gajaraj lives in royal comfort but feels sad because he has no friend. 2 A stray dog enters the stable, and Gajaraj shares food and plays with him. 3 The dog, Buntee, enjoys time with Gajaraj, but a farmer finds him and takes him home. 4 After Buntee leaves, both he and Gajaraj stop eating because they miss each other. 5 The farmer understands Buntee’s sadness and frees him to return to Gajaraj. 6 Buntee comes back, both friends eat happily, and the mahout and farmer also become friends. G Gajaraj The lonely royal elephant in 'The Unlikely Best Friends' who befriends a stray dog.
B Buntee The stray dog who becomes Gajaraj's best friend; the two refuse to eat when separated.
M Mahout The elephant trainer and caretaker who looks after Gajaraj and later befriends the farmer.
' 'A Friend's Prayer' A poem by Jill Wolf in which the speaker prays to be a loving, accepting and devoted friend.
M Mario The boastful boy in 'The Chair' who learns who his real friends are through the invisible-chair test.
T Theme of true friendship The idea, running through all three pieces, that real friends care for us, accept us and stand by us in difficulty.
stables
living spaces for animals
interacted with
communicated with
accompanied
went with someone
winced
shrunk back in pain or distress
Q1 Why was Gajaraj sad at the start of 'The Unlikely Best Friends'? Answer Q2 How did Gajaraj and Buntee show they were true friends? Answer Q3 Why did the farmer finally set Buntee free? Answer Q4 What does the speaker pray for in 'A Friend's Prayer'? Answer Q5 Who wrote the poem 'A Friend's Prayer'? Answer Q6 What bet did Mario's grandfather make in 'The Chair'? Answer Q7 What happened when Mario tried to sit on the invisible chair? Answer Q8 Who were Mario's real friends and how did they show it? Answer Q9 What lesson does 'The Chair' teach about friendship? Answer Q10 What common idea links all three pieces in this unit? Answer Q1 I Friends are an important part of our lives. Why do you think so? Share your ideas with your friend. What do you do when you are with your friends and how do you feel? Answer Q2 Now, complete the following sentences by writing in the shapes given below. Share your completed sentences with your classmates and teacher. One has been done for you. With my friend I _____________ With my friend I feel _____________ Answer Q3 II The title of the chapter is ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’. 1. What can be the meaning of ‘unlikely’? Discuss in groups, and then discuss with your teacher. Answer Q4 II The title of the chapter is ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’. 2. Can you think of some unlikely friends? Share your answer with your teacher. Answer Q1 1. Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together. Now, write in the shapes given below. One has been done for you. Buntee and Gajaraj _____________ played Answer Q2 2. Why did the farmer hug Buntee? Answer Q3 3. Do you think Buntee will leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer? Answer Q1 1. Why did Gajaraj not eat his food? Answer Q2 2. Who were friends at the end of the story? Answer Q1 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. In spite of royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad because he had no friends. The mahout, or elephant trainer, was the only one he ever interacted with. The mahout was a kind man who served Gajaraj food, and gave him a bath in the elephant pond daily. He was a good caretaker, but not a friend. (i) Complete with one word: mahout : kind : : Gajaraj : ___________ Answer Q2 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. (ii) The mahout was a good caretaker because he gave _________ to Gajaraj and a ______ in the pond. Answer Q3 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. (iii) What do you think is the difference between a friend and a caretaker? Answer Q4 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. “Are you missing your friend?” asked the farmer remembering the happy look on Buntee’s face while sitting on the elephant’s back. “I cannot see you go hungry,” said the farmer, “If you miss your friend so much, go to him.” The farmer removed the rope with which he had tied the dog. (i) The farmer uses the word __________________ to refer to the elephant. Answer Q5 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. (ii) How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry? Answer Q6 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. (iii) Why did the farmer remove the rope with which he had tied Buntee? Answer Q7 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. (iv) Complete with one word: Gajaraj : Buntee : : __________ : farmer Answer Q8 II Give two examples to show that Gajaraj was very happy to have a friend. Answer Q9 III How did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad? Answer Q10 IV Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer’s hand? Answer Q11 V What was ‘unlikely’ about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee? Answer Q1 1. Gajaraj was sad without a friend and when he met Buntee, he was filled with joy. ‘Sad’ and ‘filled with joy’ are opposites. Opposites can also be formed by adding some letters before a word. For example, un- unhappy, in- incorrect, dis- disconnect, mis- misuse. Now, take help from the words given as hints and fill up their opposites in the puzzle. (Note: All the words are from the story you have just read.) We are opposites! Down: 1. started 2. appeared 4. sad 5. untouched 6. hate Across: 3. unkind 7. yelped 8. awake 9. relieved 10. missing Answer Q2 2. Now, complete the paragraph with some of the words you have used in the puzzle. My pencil was _____________. I was very ________________ as it was a gift from my friend. I woke up my elder brother who was ____________ on the bed. I told him that my pencil seemed to have ________________. He _______________ and told me to look under my pillow. I was ___________________ when I ______________ the pencil there. Answer Q3 3. The words that tell us about an action are called verbs. In the story, the author tells us what happened before. To do that, the past form of the action word (verb) is used. Let us learn about the three forms of past tense. Simple Past Tense, Past Progressive Tense, Past Perfect Tense Given below are some verbs from the story. Put the verbs in their correct column in the table given above. was looking, looked, gave, had ordered, was missing, hated, had followed, noticed, was munching, went, had remained, served, told, asked, felt, touched, had tied, joined, arrived, threw Answer Q4 Select the correct form of the verb to complete the passage. Check your answers with the teacher. The farmer came back and ____________ (noticed/was noticing/had noticed) that Buntee was sad. He ____________ (tied/ was tying/had tied) Buntee with a rope the day before. He ____________ (asked/was asking/ had asked) Buntee why he was sad. The farmer ____________ (felt/was feeling/had felt) that Buntee ____________ (missed/was missing/had missed) Gajaraj and set him free. Answer Q5 4. ‘…neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears.’ The words ‘neither’, ‘nor’ are used to state that the farmer and the mahout did not notice the same thing. Discuss the given sentences with your teacher to practise. • Neither Shikha nor Anuj likes to tell stories. • Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting. Answer Q1 1. You will listen to a story about ‘Unlikely Friends’. Use exact words from the story to fill up the missing details in the paragraph. (refer to page 71 for transcript) The leopard is a ___________ animal but it became a friend of a cow. When the leopard grew up, it left the village. It came in the _______________ to meet the cow. The leopard would sit __________________ the cow. They also played together. _____________ were surprised at their friendship. Answer Q2 2. Now, listen to the story again and number the sentences in correct order. The first one has been done for you. The leopard stopped coming regularly. The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother. The leopard came to meet the cow at night. The leopard left the village after growing up. Answer Q1 Gajaraj and Buntee had a wonderful time with each other even if they were ‘unlikely’ friends. Talk to your friend and find out your common likes and dislikes. Share your answers with the class. I am ____________ I like: • ____________ • ____________ My friend is ____________ My friend likes: • ____________ • ____________ Both of us like: • ____________ • ____________ Now, tell your classmates about your friend. Answer Q1 Write six sentences about your friend with the help of the facts collected in the above task. Mention how you are not only similar but also different. You may take help of the words given below. same different and but both still like unlike neither nor either or Answer Q1 1. The story, ‘The Elephant and the Dog’ is found in the Jataka tales. These stories are ancient Buddhist stories of life values and wisdom. These stories have been told from one generation to the next for over two thousand years. Find and read another Jataka story. Answer Q2 2. Elephants have historically held significant roles in Indian culture, spanning history, warfare, religion, festivals and more. However, contemporary ecological challenges have strained the relationship between humans and elephants. Have a discussion in the class. Answer Q3 3. Given below is a news report from an Elephant Sanctuary in the United States about a real-life friendship between an elephant and a dog. The elephant’s name is Tarra and the dog’s name is Bella. Bella came inside a forest for elephants and became Tarra’s friend. Tarra spent most of her time with Bella. One day, Bella had an injury so she could not walk. She was kept inside a building for three weeks. Tarra stood outside for three weeks. Finally, they met and were very happy. Answer Q1 I Read the following sentences. 1. I wish my friend brings idli in her tiffin tomorrow. 2. I hope my friend and I win the race tomorrow. 3. May my friend get well soon. Which of the three sentences 1–3 is closest to a prayer? Explain to your teacher and classmates. Answer Q2 II What would you pray for your friend? First speak about it and then write it down. Answer Q1 1. Read the poem silently. As you read, underline the parts of the poem that you agree with. Answer Q2 2. Now, share the details of your underlined parts of the poem in groups and explain why you liked those lines. Answer Q3 3. Which line was underlined by most people in your group? Share it with your teacher. Answer Q1 I Complete the summary of the poem by circling the correct highlighted words. The poet says a prayer for/speech on friendship and friends. She wants that friendship should always be an important part of her complete life/ school days. She says that her friendship makes her feel brave/special. She wishes to do the best she can, for her friends. She wants to clap for/ listen to the wishes of her friends. As a good friend, she prays/imagines that she is able to make her friends’ wishes come true. She wants her heart/mind to understand what a true friend is. She prays that she loves her friends as they are/when they are happy. She tells us that true/correct friends accept their friends for all their qualities. Answer Q2 II Answer in one word only. 1. How does the poet feel about special friends? Answer Q3 II Answer in one word only. 2. What does the poet use to realise what friends can be? Answer Q4 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 1. I want to do much more than share The hopes and plans of friends who care; I’ll try all that a friend can do To make their wishes come true. (i) Complete the sentence with the most suitable option. These lines tell us that the speaker is _______________. A. clever B. caring C. curious D. calm Answer Q5 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 1. (ii) How will the speaker make her friends’ wishes come true? (by trying hard/by working a lot) Answer Q6 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 1. (iii) Fill in the blank with a suitable word. My friends will feel __________ if their wishes come true. Answer Q7 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 2. Let me use my heart to see, To realise what friends can be, And make no judgements from afar, But love my friends the way they are. (i) The speaker says that feelings are important to understand friendship. Which line tells us this? Answer Q8 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 2. (ii) Complete the sentence with the most suitable option. These lines tell us that the speaker is _______________. A. helpful B. thoughtful C. cheerful D. hopeful Answer Q9 III Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below. 2. (iii) Fill in the blank with one word. The speaker does not wish to make any ___________. She cares for them just as they are. Answer Q10 IV Give one reason why we can say that this poem is a prayer. Answer Q11 V Why does the speaker ‘want to do more’ for her friend? Answer Q12 VI Do you think that the speaker knows about the wishes of her friend? How can we say so? Answer Q13 VII Do you also pray for your friend? What do you wish for? Discuss. Answer Q1 I The poet says, ‘With special friends I feel I’m blessed’. Select the words that are similar to the meaning of being blessed, from those given below. excited grateful understood thankful relaxed Answer Q2 II Good friends have a lot of qualities. Let us list some. loyal, h e __ __ f __ l, k __ __ d, c __ __ i n g, h o __ __ __ t Now, fill in the blanks with the words you just listed above. 1. My friend is always _____________ to me even when I make a mistake. 2. My friend shares things with me. She is very _____________. 3. My friend is _____________ because he always supports me. 4. My friend never lies. She is an _____________ person. 5. My friend and I believe in _____________ for each other. Answer Q3 III Think of any three of your friends. Write three sentences on why you like each one of them. Answer Q1 I You will listen to a talk about some outdoor activities that two friends spend their time doing. As you listen, answer the given question in one or two word(s) only. (refer to page 72 for transcript) 1. What do the two friends purchase and use on the park bench? Answer Q2 II You will once again listen to the talk about some outdoor activities of the two friends. As you listen, circle the pictures that show these activities. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Answer Q1 1. In pairs, act the role of friends speaking to each other. Speak about the following situations: 1. A walk in the park 2. Sharing tiffins at school Answer Q2 2. Create a new situation and have another conversation. Answer Q1 Describe how your friendship with your friend started. • First list the answers for — When? Where? How? • Then, use your sentences to write a short paragraph of about 80 words. • Give a title to your paragraph. Answer Q1 I There are many quotations about friendship. Read the ones given below. • “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” • “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” 1. What do you think is the meaning of these quotations? Share it with your teacher. 2. Think of an experience in your life with your friend that suits this quotation. Share it with your friends. Answer Q2 II Look for some famous quotations on friendship; these can be in your own language too. Read and share them with your teacher and classmates. Write one quotation on paper, colour and decorate it. Put it up on the class board. Answer Q1 I Write two words that come to your mind when you think of friendship. 1. Now, find some more words that are related to friendship from the grid given below. You can search horizontally or vertically. There are eight words. One word has been marked as an example. The first letter of each word has been given in bold. 2. Fill in the blanks to complete the words, which mean the same as ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ with the help of the meanings. Meaning Word (i) a person with whom you do activities together p __ r __\(n\) __ r (ii) an informal word for friends b __ __ d __ __ s (iii) a person who you spend a lot of time with c __ m p __ n __ o __ (iv) children who are in the same class as you at school c l __ s __ m__ t __ s 3. There are so many words for a friend. What do you call ‘a friend’ in your own language? Answer Q1 1. Mario was very proud of having so many friends. State whether True or False. Answer Q2 2. What did the grandfather take from the attic? Answer Q3 3. Will Mario face any challenges? Answer Q4 4. Will Mario be able to use the magic? Answer Q1 1. Mario successfully sat on the invisible chair on his first attempt. State whether True or False. Answer Q2 2. Fill in the blank with a suitable word. Mario’s grandfather challenged him to a bet of __________. Answer Q3 3. Match the following characters with their action. Guneet, Asma and Deepa (i) held Mario up, so he wouldn't fall (ii) made fun of Mario’s attempts Others (i) held Mario up, so he wouldn't fall (ii) made fun of Mario’s attempts Answer Q1 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. “Take it. It’s a very special chair. As it’s invisible, it’s rather tricky to sit on it. But if you take it to school and manage to sit on it, then the magic will work and you’ll be able to tell who your real friends are.” (i) Fill in the blanks with two words that describe the chair. The chair is _____________ and ___________. Answer Q2 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. (ii) Why was it tricky to sit on the chair? Answer Q3 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 1. (iii) Why does Mario’s grandfather call the chair ‘special’? Answer Q4 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. “Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem,” he said, trying again. But again, he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks and laughter. Mario wouldn’t give up. (i) Fill in the blank with a suitable reason. Mario says there was a technical problem because ___________. Answer Q5 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. (ii) Mario’s friends were very caring and helpful. State whether True or False. Answer Q6 I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 2. (iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. Mario wouldn’t give up. This shows he is _____________. a. strong-willed C. loving B. supportive d. hard-working Answer Q7 II Answer the following questions. 1. What was the bet about? Answer Q8 II Answer the following questions. 2. What happened when Mario sat on the chair for the first time? Answer Q9 II Answer the following questions. 3. How was Mario able to find his real friends? Answer Q10 II Answer the following questions. 4. Do you think the magic chair test was good? Why do you say so? Answer Q11 II Answer the following questions. 5. What does ‘friends for life’ mean to you? Answer Q12 II Answer the following questions. 6. The grandfather’s idea helped Mario find his ‘real friends’. Mention any other way that would help you find out who are your ‘real friends’. Answer Q1 I Read the following words from the text. Complete the following table by dividing the words into two parts. One has been done for you. The words in Column A are called the root words. The sequences of letters that are in Column B which come after the root words are called suffixes. friendly suddenly talking carrying called showed Answer Q2 II Match the following root words with suitable suffixes. You can use a suffix more than once as shown. Use them to make sentences of your own. S. No. Root Word Suffix Word Sentence 1. magic -ing magical 2. care -al 3. celebrate -ful 4. laugh -ly 5. wonder -ed 6. help -tion 7. friend -ous 8. courage -ship Answer Q3 III Read the following lines from the story. Mario, brave and determined, took the strange invisible chair … You have already described the chair. Now, describe what kind of a person Mario is in the image given below. [Use words from the story. You may also use words of your own.] The words that describe the quality of a person or a thing are called adjectives. Mario Answer Q4 IV Match each word (adjectives) in Column A with a suitable word (noun) in Column B. You can make more than one combination. One has been done as an example. Column A Adjectives 1. brave friends 2. clever rain 3. tasty soldier 4. heavy plan 5. slight peanuts 6. true cold Column B Nouns Column C Phrases Column D Sentences Answer Q5 V Complete the paragraph with suitable adjective-noun pairings. Use the words in the box given below. old book magical adventures happy boy amazing stories fantastic adventures colourful creatures old castles Once upon a time in a little village, a/an 1. __________________ named Abhishek found a/an 2. __________________ in the attic. He read 3. __________________ about fairy lands, 4. __________________ and 5. __________________. Abhishek’s eyes got big as he imagined these 6. __________________. He told his friends about the stories, and they started to have their own 7. __________________ when they played together. Answer Q1 You will listen to Manu talk about her friend, Monika. As you listen, fill in the blanks with words that you hear. (refer to page 73 for transcript) 1. Manu found it _____________ when she took admission in the school. 2. Manu met _____________ and was helped by her in many ways. 3. So, it was not so _____________ for the new girl to adjust in the school. 4. Both friends experienced difficult and _____________ moments together. 5. Manu is _____________ to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend. Answer Q1 Work in pairs. Read the following qualities of a friend. loving honest kind caring loyal polite respectful team-worker understanding Discuss in pairs. Choose any four positive qualities that you would like your friend to have. Give a reason for your choice. Answer Q1 1. Now, choose the correct word given in brackets to complete Mario’s message to Guneet. Dear Guneet, I am __________________ (thankful to/requesting) God to have you as a __________________ (lucky/real) friend for life. When everyone was __________________ (laughing at/talking to) me, Deepa, Asma and you showed me that you __________________ (will save/care for) me. You are indeed a __________________ (blessing/loving) in my life. Best wishes, Mario Answer Q2 2. Now, write your own message to your best friend. You may take ideas from the story, ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’ and the poem, ‘A Friend’s Prayer’. Answer Q1 1. Find out more stories about ‘Friendship’. It could be from your state, other states or other countries too. You can share them with your class. Answer Q2 2. Describe your friends by filling in the blanks with suitable words. This is known as an acrostic poem. F ________________ R ________________ I ________________ E ________________ N ________________ D ________________ S ________________ Answer Q3 3. Complete the following task by talking to different people of different age groups as mentioned in the table. You may divide the class into groups to do the following: Question Age Group Response What does friendship mean to you? 50+ 31 to 49 20 to 30 12 to 19 After gathering responses: Discuss: similarities and differences across age groups. Reflect: how viewpoints on friendship may change with age and life experiences. Present: a summary of the group’s responses, emphasising key themes or unique insights. Answer
Who wrote the story 'The Unlikely Best Friends'?
A Jill Wolf B Georgia Heard C Subba Rao D Sudha Murty
Flashcards & interactive practice 
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