This is a story about what the author This is a story about what the author saw, as a young boy, when he was saw, as a young boy, when he was sitting in an old banyan tree.The sitting in an old banyan tree.The author would often sit in the banyan author would often sit in the banyan tree and read books. Sometimes he tree and read books. Sometimes he would look down through the leaves would look down through the leaves at the world below. A squirrel would at the world below. A squirrel would come to him fearlessly and eat come to him fearlessly and eat morsels from his hands.morsels from his hands.

In the spring season the banyan tree In the spring season the banyan tree was the noicest place in the garden was the noicest place in the garden with all sorts of birds and sqirrels with all sorts of birds and sqirrels coming to eat figs.coming to eat figs.

One particular afternoon he One particular afternoon he happened to see a fight between a happened to see a fight between a mongoose and a cobra. He saw a mongoose and a cobra. He saw a huge black cobra gliding out of a huge black cobra gliding out of a clumb of cactus. At the same time a clumb of cactus. At the same time a mongoose emerged from the bushes mongoose emerged from the bushes and went straight for the cobra. Both and went straight for the cobra. Both the snake and the mongoose came the snake and the mongoose came face to face in a clearing.face to face in a clearing.

The three feet long mongoose was a The three feet long mongoose was a superb fighter, clever and superb fighter, clever and aggressive. The cobra too was a aggressive. The cobra too was a skillful and experinced fighter. It was skillful and experinced fighter. It was to be a battle of champions. to be a battle of champions.

Soon two spectators came there. Soon two spectators came there. One was a myna and the other a One was a myna and the other a jungle crow. The fight went on for a jungle crow. The fight went on for a long time. The mongoose bit the long time. The mongoose bit the snake on the back and darted away.snake on the back and darted away.

The crow and the myna dived at the The crow and the myna dived at the snake, bumped into each other and snake, bumped into each other and returned shrieking to the safety of returned shrieking to the safety of the cactus. The third time they came the cactus. The third time they came diving at the cobra, the cobra diving at the cobra, the cobra whipped his head back and struck whipped his head back and struck with great force, his snout thudding with great force, his snout thudding against the crow’s body.It fluttered against the crow’s body.It fluttered about for a while and then lay dead.about for a while and then lay dead.

By now the cobra had become very By now the cobra had become very weak and ceased to struggle. The weak and ceased to struggle. The mongoose gripped it round the hood mongoose gripped it round the hood and dragged it into the bushes.and dragged it into the bushes.

I. Complete the following I. Complete the following sentences in a suitable way.sentences in a suitable way.

1) In the spring when the banyan tree was full 1) In the spring when the banyan tree was full of red figs__________.of red figs__________.

2)The small grey squirrel became friendly 2)The small grey squirrel became friendly when _________.when _________.

3) When the boy did not feel like reading 3) When the boy did not feel like reading __________.__________.

4)The banyan tree served the boy as a 4)The banyan tree served the boy as a ____________.____________.

5) Though the combatants were unaware of 5) Though the combatants were unaware of the author’s presence in the tree the author’s presence in the tree ____________.____________.

II. Fill in the blanks using the II. Fill in the blanks using the appropriate form of adjectives given in appropriate form of adjectives given in

the brackets.the brackets.

1) Rani is as ________ as his sister. ( fat )1) Rani is as ________ as his sister. ( fat )

2) Nagpur is _____ than Mumbai. ( Hot )2) Nagpur is _____ than Mumbai. ( Hot )

3) Pranav is _______ than Madhu. 3) Pranav is _______ than Madhu. ( heavy )( heavy )

4) Paper is _______ than metal. ( light )4) Paper is _______ than metal. ( light )

5) Rohit is as ______ as Vinay. ( smart ) 5) Rohit is as ______ as Vinay. ( smart )

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

I. Read the extracts given below and answer I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow choosing the the questions that follow choosing the correct option.correct option.

(i) Though the combatants were unaware of (i) Though the combatants were unaware of my presence in the tree, they were soon my presence in the tree, they were soon made aware of the arrival of two other made aware of the arrival of two other spectators.spectators.

(i) Where was the speaker sitting ?(i) Where was the speaker sitting ?

(a) in a library(a) in a library

(b) in a house(b) in a house

(c) in a tree(c) in a tree

(d) in a school(d) in a school

(ii) who were the combatants here?(ii) who were the combatants here? (a) myna and crow(a) myna and crow (b) bulbul and parrot(b) bulbul and parrot (c) cobra and mongoose(c) cobra and mongoose (d) author and his grandfather(d) author and his grandfather(iii) The spectators here were ____.(iii) The spectators here were ____. (a) bulbul and parrot(a) bulbul and parrot (b) myna and crow(b) myna and crow (c) cobra and mongoose(c) cobra and mongoose (d) squirrel and parrot(d) squirrel and parrot

(2) I saw the bird flung nearly twenty (2) I saw the bird flung nearly twenty feet across the garden. It fluttered feet across the garden. It fluttered about for a while, then lay still.about for a while, then lay still.

(i) ‘I’ here is ______.(i) ‘I’ here is ______.

(a) squirrel(a) squirrel

(b) crow(b) crow

(c) author(c) author

(d) author’s grandfather (d) author’s grandfather

(ii) The bird mentioned here is _______.(ii) The bird mentioned here is _______.

(a) myna(a) myna

(b) crow(b) crow

(c) bulbul(c) bulbul

(d) parrot(d) parrot

(iii) What caused the bird to flutter and (iii) What caused the bird to flutter and then lie still?then lie still?

(a) It was scared to see the fight(a) It was scared to see the fight

(b) the cobra bit the bird(b) the cobra bit the bird

(c) the cobra struck it with its hood(c) the cobra struck it with its hood

(d) the mongoose bit the bird(d) the mongoose bit the bird

3. He then smelt along its 3. He then smelt along its quivering length, gripped it quivering length, gripped it

round the hood, and dragged it round the hood, and dragged it into the bushes.into the bushes.

(i) Who is ‘he’ here?(i) Who is ‘he’ here?

(a) author(a) author

(b) snake(b) snake

(c) myna(c) myna

(d) mongoose(d) mongoose

(ii) Whom did he smell?(ii) Whom did he smell?

(a) mongoose (a) mongoose

(b) snake (b) snake

(c) myna(c) myna

(d) author(d) author

(iii) What did he do to the other at (iii) What did he do to the other at last?last?

(a) insulted(a) insulted

(b) congratulated(b) congratulated

(c) dragged into the bushes(c) dragged into the bushes

(d) eaten up(d) eaten up

II. Fill in the blanks using the II. Fill in the blanks using the appropriate words from the appropriate words from the

bracket.bracket.

(sprang, glided, darted, delved)(sprang, glided, darted, delved)

(a) The squirrel ____ into the pockets of (a) The squirrel ____ into the pockets of the author quite fearlessly.the author quite fearlessly.

(b) A cobra ____ out of a clump of (b) A cobra ____ out of a clump of cactus.cactus.

(c) The tongue of the snake ____in and (c) The tongue of the snake ____in and out.out.

(d) When the cobra tried to bite, the (d) When the cobra tried to bite, the mongoose ____ aside.mongoose ____ aside.