CLASS V ENGLISH
LESSON : 5
MY SCHOOL DAYS
đāĻĒāĻā§āĻāĻŽ āĻļā§āϰā§āĻŖāĻŋ āĻāĻāύāĻŋāĻ āĻā§āϏā§āĻ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύāĻĒāϤā§āϰ Click Here
đāĻĒāĻā§āĻāĻŽ āĻļā§āϰā§āĻŖāĻŋ āĻāĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύā§āϤā§āϤāϰ Click Here
Let’s begin…
âĸ Do you love to go to school ?
âĸ Which subject do you like the most ?
âĸ Can you guess whose school days we are going to read about ?
Let’s read…
One morning I went to Ballygunge Government High School with my maternal uncle.
āĻāĻāĻĻāĻŋāύ āϏāĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻŦāĻžāϞāĻŋāĻāĻā§āĻ āϏāϰāĻāĻžāϰ⧠āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝāĻžāϞāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻŋā§ā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
The class teacher gave me a few questions to answer and also a few sums to solve.
āĻā§āϞāĻžāϏ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰ āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύ āĻāĻŦāĻ āϏāĻŽāĻžāϧāĻžāύā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ āĻāĻ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
I wrote the answers, solved the sums and showed them to the teacher.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āϞāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ, āĻ āĻā§āĻāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāĻžāϧāĻžāύ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŦāĻ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ⧠āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āώāĻāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
He went through the answers and nodded.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāϞā§āύ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŽāĻžāĻĨāĻž āύāĻžā§āϞā§āύāĨ¤
His gesture indicated that my answers were correct and thus I was admitted to the school.
āϤāĻžāĻāϰ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻž āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŋāϤ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞ āϝ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻā§ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ⧠āĻāϰā§āϤāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
Ballygunge Government High School was on the eastern side of the Beltala Road Police Station.
āĻŦāĻžāϞāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§āĻ āϏāϰāĻāĻžāϰ⧠āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝāĻžāϞāϝāĻŧāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϞāϤāϞāĻž āϰā§āĻĄ āĻĨāĻžāύāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŦ āĻĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
The southern part of the school was our playground.
āϏā§āĻā§āϞā§āϰ āĻĻāĻā§āώāĻŋāĻŖ āĻ āĻāĻļāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϞāĻžāϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻ āĨ¤
It was surrounded by a lofty wall.
āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻā§āϰ āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāϰāĻž āĻŦā§āώā§āĻāĻŋāϤ āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
When seen from above, the school looked like the English letter “T”.
āĻāĻĒāϰ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āϝāĻāύ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻāύ āϏā§āĻā§āϞāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āĻŦāϰā§āĻŖ “T” āĻāϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
The vertical part of the “T” was the hall of the school and the horizontal part of the letter was formed by the row of classrooms.
“āĻāĻŋ” āĻāϰ āĻāϞā§āϞāĻŽā§āĻŦ / āϞāĻŽā§āĻŦāĻžāϞāĻŽā§āĻŦāĻŋ āĻ āĻāĻļāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāϞ āϏā§āĻā§āϞā§āϰ āĻšāϞāĻāϰ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ āĻā§āώāϰāĻāĻŋāϰ āĻ āύā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ / āϏāĻŽāĻžāύā§āϤāϰāĻžāϞ āĻ āĻāĻļāĻāĻŋ āĻļā§āϰā§āĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻā§āώā§āϰ āϏāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāϰāĻž āĻāĻ āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
The annual prize distribution ceremony was held in this hall, which had a gallery as well.
āĻāĻ āĻšāϞāĻāϰāĻāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻŦāĻžāϰā§āώāĻŋāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāώā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻŋāϤāϰāĻŖ āĻ āύā§āώā§āĻ āĻžāύ āĻ āύā§āώā§āĻ āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞ, āϝāĻžāϤ⧠āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āϝāĻžāϞāĻžāϰā§āĻ āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
Feasts, on occasion of Saraswati Puja, were also arranged here.
āϏāϰāϏā§āĻŦāϤ⧠āĻĒā§āĻāĻž āĻāĻĒāϞāĻā§āώ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻāϰ āĻā§ā§āĻāύāĻ āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
I still remember the experience of watching a Shakespearean play in this hall.
āĻāĻ āĻšāϞā§āϰ āĻļā§āĻā§āϏāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāύ āύāĻžāĻāĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāϤāĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāύāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŽāύ⧠āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
The play was The Merchant of Venice, a few scenes from which were performed by a couple of foreign actors called Greenberg and Salim.
āύāĻžāĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāϞ āĻŽāĻžāϰā§āĻā§āύā§āĻ āĻ āĻĢ āĻā§āύāĻŋāϏ, āϝāĻžāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻļā§āϝ⧠āĻā§āϰāĻŋāύāĻŦāĻžāϰā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āϏā§āϞāĻŋāĻŽ āύāĻžāĻŽā§ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāύ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āĻļā§ āĻ āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāĻž āĻ āĻāĻŋāύāϝāĻŧ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
A Charlie Chaplin movie was also screened here once.
āĻāĻžāϰā§āϞāĻŋ āĻā§āϝāĻžāĻĒāϞāĻŋāύ āĻāĻžā§āĻžāĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāϰā§āĻļāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
Word Trove
vertical – going straight up on a flat base
gallery – an upper floor of seats in a theatre
foreign- belonging to a country other than one’s own
Let’s do…
ACTIVITY 1
Letâs answer the following questions :
(a) To which school was the author admitted ?
Ans: The author was admitted to Ballygunge Government High School.
(b) What was the school hall used for ?
Ans: The school hall was used for the annual prize distribution ceremony, feasts, on the occasion of Saraswati Puja, and showing plays and movies.
(c) What was the name of the Shakespearean play that was performed in the hall ?
Ans: The name of the Shakespearean play that was performed in the hall was âThe Merchant of Veniceâ.
(d) Name the two foreign actors mentioned by the author.
Ans: Greenberg and Salim are the two foreign actors mentioned by the author.
ACTIVITY 2
Write T for true and F for false statements in the given boxes:
(a) The author went to Ballygunge Government High School with his mother. [F]
(b) The Ballygunge Government High School is on the eastern side of Beltala Police Station. [T]
(c) The southern part of the school was the playground. [T]
(d) When seen from above the author’s school looked like the English letter “L”. [F]
ACTIVITY 3
Let’s match the words in column A with their meanings in Column B :
A | B |
(a) sums | Someone who belongs to another country |
(b) nodded | encircled |
(c) surrounded | movie |
(d) foreigner | mathematical problems |
(e) cinema | moving the head of hindaun to say yes |
Ans:
A | B |
(a) sums | mathematical problem |
(b) nodded | moving the head up and down to say yes |
(c) surrounded | encircled |
(d) foreigner | someone who belongs to another country |
(e) cinema | movie |
ACTIVITY 4
Let’s fill in the following chart with suitable verb forms:
Present | Past | Past Participle |
Went | ||
look | ||
Text | gave | |
shown | ||
use |
Ans:
Present | Past | Past Participle |
go | Went | gone |
look | looked | looked |
give | gave | given |
see | show | shown |
use | used | used |
ACTIVITY 5
From sentences of your own with the following verbs: went, looked, give, show, use
â wentâ
(i) She went to the park with her friends.
(ii) The family went to the beach for vacation.
(iii) We went to the zoo and saw many animals.
â lookedâ
(i) I looked for my book but couldn’t find it.
(ii) The food looked delicious on the plate.
(iii) The teacher looked at the students with a smile.
â giveâ
(i) Please give me a pencil.
(ii) The teacher will give us homework.
(iii) Can you give me some advice ?
â showâ
(i) Can you show me where the library is ?
(ii) The magician will show us a magic trick.
(iii) The map will show the way to the park.
â useâ
(i) I use my phone to call my mom.
(ii) We use a map to find our way.
(iii) Can you use this tool to open the box ?
Let’s continue…
There were quite a number of good teachers in our school.
āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ⧠āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āώāĻ āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
B.D Roy taught us English.
āĻŦāĻŋ.āĻĄāĻŋ āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻāĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
He was a small man who took great care to ensure that we pronounced English correctly.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāύ āĻā§āĻ āĻŽāĻžāύā§āώ āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύ āϝāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻāĻāϰāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāύāĻž āϤāĻž āύāĻŋāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāϤ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻā§āĻŦ āϝāϤā§āύ āύāĻŋāϤā§āύāĨ¤
One day he told us the story of The Ox and The Frog from Aesop’s fables.
āĻāĻāĻĻāĻŋāύ āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰāĻā§ āĻāϏāĻĒā§āϰ āĻāϞā§āĻĒāĻāĻžāĻšāĻŋāύ⧠āĻĨā§āĻā§ āώāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϰ āĻāϞā§āĻĒāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāϞā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
Before telling us the story, he taught us how the pronunciation of ‘the’ depends on whether the following word begins with a vowel or a consonant.
āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻāϞā§āĻĒāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāϞāĻžāϰ āĻāĻā§, āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύ āϝ⧠āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ âtheâ āĻāϰ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻāĻŋ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āϝā§, āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰā§āϰ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻŦāϰāĻŦāϰā§āĻŖ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āĻāύāĻŦāϰā§āĻŖ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŋāύāĻž āϤāĻžāϰ āĻāĻĒāϰāĨ¤
I fondly remember our head pandit, Bhattacharya Sir, for his excellent handwriting.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻšā§āĻĄ āĻĒāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻŋāϤ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻžāĻāĻžāϰā§āϝ āϏā§āϝāĻžāϰāĻā§ āϤāĻžāĻāϰ āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻĻāĻžāύā§āϤ āĻšāĻžāϤā§āϰ āϞā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āϏā§āύā§āĻšā§āϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§ āϏā§āĻŽāϰāĻŖ āĻāϰāĻŋāĨ¤
I don’t think anybody else could write Bengali more beautifully on the blackboard.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŽāύ⧠āĻāϰāĻŋ āύāĻž āϝ⧠āĻāϰ āĻā§āĻ āĻŦā§āϞā§āϝāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āĻĄā§ āĻ āϤ āϏā§āύā§āĻĻāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻāϞāĻž āϞāĻŋāĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
I was not very good at sports.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āϞāĻžāϧā§āϞāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻžāϞ āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āύāĻžāĨ¤
But I could draw very well.
āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻāĻāĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰāϤāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
As a result, I became the favourite of our drawing teacher, Ashubabu.
āĻĢāϞāϏā§āĻŦāϰā§āĻĒ, āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻ āĻā§āĻāύ āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āώāĻ āĻāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻšāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻ āĻŋāĨ¤
He was given the charge of decorating the hall for the annual prize-distribution ceremony.
āĻŦāĻžāϰā§āώāĻŋāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāώā§āĻāĻžāϰ-āĻŦāĻŋāϤāϰāĻŖ āĻ āύā§āώā§āĻ āĻžāύ⧠āϤāĻžāĻā§ āĻšāϞāĻāϰ āϏāĻžāĻāĻžāύā§āϰ āĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāϤā§āĻŦ āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
He also conducted an event called ‘Music drawing’.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ ‘āĻŽāĻŋāĻāĻāĻŋāĻ āĻ āĻā§āĻāύ’ āύāĻžāĻŽā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āύā§āĻāĻ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻāĻžāϞāύāĻž āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϞā§āύāĨ¤
For this event, there would be a blackboard and coloured chalks on a table.
āĻāĻ āĻāĻā§āύā§āĻā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ, āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϞā§āϝāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āĻĄ āĻāĻŦāĻ āϰāĻāĻŋāύ āĻāĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āĨ¤
A student would sing a song and another would draw a picture on the blackboard, trying to capture in lines and colour the essence of the song.
āĻāĻāĻāύ āĻāĻžāϤā§āϰ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāύ āĻāĻžāĻāϤ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ āύā§āϝāĻāύ āĻŦā§āϞā§āϝāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āĻĄā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāϤ, āϞāĻžāĻāύāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϤ⧠āϧāϰāĻžāϰ āĻā§āώā§āĻāĻž āĻāϰāϤ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻžāύā§āϰ āϏāĻžāϰāĻŽāϰā§āĻŽāĻāĻŋ āϰāĻ āĻāϰāϤāĨ¤
In this way, through many such happy and memorable episodes, I spent six years of my school life.
āĻāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§, āĻāĻ āĻāĻžāϤā§āϝāĻŧ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻāύāύā§āĻĻāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŦāĻ āϏā§āĻŽāϰāĻŖā§āϝāĻŧ āĻĒāϰā§āĻŦāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻā§āĻŦāύā§āϰ āĻāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻāϰ āĻ āϤāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋāϤ āĻāϰā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤
Ten years after leaving school, I went back there just once, probably to attend a reunion of ex-students.
āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻļ āĻŦāĻāϰ āĻĒāϰā§, āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦāϞ āϏā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧠āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ, āϏāĻŽā§āĻāĻŦāϤ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻā§āϤāύ āĻāĻžāϤā§āϰāĻĻā§āϰ āĻĒā§āύāϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϞāύ⧠āϝā§āĻ āĻĻāĻŋāϤā§āĨ¤
As I entered the hall, I noted with surprise that I could not recognize it.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻāύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāϰāϞāĻžāĻŽ āϤāĻāύ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧā§ āϞāĻā§āώā§āϝ āĻāϰāϞāĻžāĻŽ āϝ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāύāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āύāĻžāĨ¤
The hall which had seemed enormous earlier, did not seem to be quite that big then.
āϝ⧠āĻšāϞāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻā§ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻŦā§ āĻŽāύ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞ, āϤāϤāĻāĻž āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻŽāύ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧ āύāĻŋāĨ¤
Not only the hall, but even the doors, the classrooms, the benches and the corridor appeared to be much smaller.
āĻā§āĻŦāϞāĻŽāĻžāϤā§āϰ āĻšāϞāĻāϰ āύāϝāĻŧ, āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŽāύāĻāĻŋ āĻĻāϰāĻāĻž, āĻļā§āϰā§āĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻā§āώ, āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāϰāĻŋāĻĄā§āϰāĻ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻŋāϞ āĻŦāϞ⧠āĻŽāύ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
This feeling was natural, though.
āϝāĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻ āĻ āύā§āĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻāĻŋ āϏā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
I was five feet three inches tall when I left school and now I have grown to about six and a half feet.
āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻ āĻĢā§āĻ āϤāĻŋāύ āĻāĻā§āĻāĻŋ āϞāĻŽā§āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻĄāĻŧā§ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϏāĻžāĻĄāĻŧā§ āĻāϝāĻŧ āĻĢā§āĻāĨ¤
I have grown a lot in all these years, but my school has not.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āϏāĻŦ āĻŦāĻāϰ⧠āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻŦā§āĻĄāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋ, āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ āĻŦāĻžā§ā§āύāĻŋāĨ¤
I have never gone back to my school since then.
āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϰ āĻĒāϰ⧠āĻāϰ āĻāĻāύāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϞ⧠āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧠āϝāĻžāĻāύāĻŋāĨ¤
It is indeed a pleasure to look back and relive the past moments of joy.
āĻĒāĻŋāĻāύ⧠āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧠āϤāĻžāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ āϤā§āϤā§āϰ āĻāύāύā§āĻĻā§āϰ āĻŽā§āĻšā§āϰā§āϤāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻŽāύ⧠āĻŽāύ⧠āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧠āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻž āϏāϤā§āϝāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāύā§āĻĻā§āϰāĨ¤
â[Adapted from Satyajit Ray’s Jokhon choto chilam]
Word Trove
pronounced â uttered
excellent â extremely good
favourite â one who is loved the most
recognise â to locate and identify
enormous â huge
Let’s do…
ACTIVITY 6
Let’s complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) The subject that B.D. Roy was ___________________.
Ans: taught English.
(b) The author remembers the head pandit Bhattacharya Sir for his ____________________________.
Ans: excellent handwriting.
(c) Ashubabu conducted an event called ____________________.
Ans: ‘Music drawing’.
(d) The time span of the author’s school-life was ____________________________.
Ans: happy and memorable.
(e) The author went back to his school one more time to attend _____________________________.
Ans: a reunion of ex-students.
ACTIVITY 7
Letâs answer the following question:
(a) How did B.D. Roy teach the pronunciation of âtheâ ?
Ans: B.D. Roy taught that the pronunciation of âtheâ depends on whether the following word begins with a vowel or a consonant.
(b) How did the author get to be Ashubabuâs favourite ?
Ans: The author could draw very well and Ashubabu was the drawing teacher of the school. In this way, the author got to be Ashubabuâs favourite.
(c) What was âMusic drawingâ ?
Ans: âMusic drawingâ was an event conducted by drawing teacher Ashubabu. In this event, there would be a blackboard and coloured chalks on a table. A student would sing a song and another would draw a picture on the blackboard, trying to capture in lines and colour the essence of the song.
(d) Why did everything seem much smaller to the author when he went back to school after ten years ?
Ans: The author seemed much smaller when he went back to the school after ten years because when he left the school he was five feet three inches tall and now he has grown to about six and a half feet.
(e) What is âa pleasureâ according to the author ?
Ans: According to the author âA pleasureâ is indeed to look back and relive the past moments of joy.
ACTIVITY 8
Let’s fill in the blanks with words from the box:
(1) Sachin Tendulkar is my _____________ cricketer.
Ans: favourite
(2) When Rip Van Winkle came back to the village the next morning, he could not ____________ it.
Ans: recognize
(3) Most people have sweet _____________ of childhood.
Ans: memories
(4) The student could not ______________ the word correctly.
Ans: pronounce
(5) Mr. Das is an ____________ teacher.
Ans: excellent
[pronounce, excellent, favourite, memories, recognize]
ACTIVITY 9(a)
Letâs identify the subject and predicate in the following sentences:
(1) One day he told us the story âThe Ox and The Frogâ from Aesopâs fables.
(2) B.D. Roy taught us English.
(3) He was a small man and he took great care to ensure that we pronounced English correctly.
(4) But I could draw very well.
(5) Ashubabu was given the charge of decorating the hall for the annual prize distribution ceremony.
ACTIVITY 9(b)
Letâs split the sentences mentioned in Activity 9(a) into subject and predicate, and fill in the given chart:
Subject | Predicate |
One day he | told us the story âThe Ox and The Frogâ from Aesopâs fables. |
B.D. Roy | taught us English. |
He | was a small man and took great care to ensure that we pronounced English correctly. |
But I | could draw very well. |
Ashu Babu | was given the charge of decorating the hall for the annual prize distribution ceremony. |
Let’s learn…
Let’s look at the following sentences:
â Ravi is playing football.
â The children are singing.
â I am writing a letter.
All the coloured words are written in the present continuous tense.
ACTIVITY 10
Fill in the blanks with present continuous tense of the given verbs in brackets.
(1) What are you doing (do) tonight?
(2) John is ___________ (read) a book now.
Ans. reading
(3) Ali and Sudip are _________ (work) late today.
Ans. working
(4) Mita is __________ (listen) to music.
Ans. listening
(5) Raju is _________ (sit) next to Sunil.
Ans. sitting
(6) How many other students are _________ (study) with you ?
Ans. studying
(7) The phone is ________ (ring).
Ans. ringing
ACTIVITY 11
Write five sentences to describe yourself with the following hints:
Answer:
â Your name and age : My name is Adrija and I am 10 years old.
â The place you live in : I live in Tufanganj.
â The name of your school : My school name is Andaranfulbari Harirdham High School.
â Your hobbies, likes and dislikes : My hobbies are drawing, reading books and I do not like fighting.
â What you want to be when you grow up : I want to be a Doctor in the future.
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