Grade 6 Practice Comprehension August month

Mr. Eckerd's House

Story By: Andrew Frinkle

Mr. Eckerd at the end of the street was a different fellow with a different kind of house. He let kids from the neighbourhood come see his house, but only if they had written permission from their parents, and if he'd already spoken to the parents before. His was not the sort of house to just let strangers wander into, after all.

What made it so different, you ask? Well, it was full of animals. He shared his home with rescued animals that the county couldn't keep. He had an exotic

animals license, which gave him permission to have things like monkeys, large cats and other strange creatures live on his property.

If you passed his house as you rode down the street in a car or on a bike, you would immediately know which house was his. His was the one with the ivy-covered brick wall around it and the iron gate across the driveway. Even the iron  gate had animals prancing and jumping in twists of black metal.

Once you went inside, the hedges lining the driveway were carved into the shapes of animals. There was a dolphin jumping, a kangaroo hopping, a giraffe reaching skyward, and a squirrel holding an acorn. There were other pretty plants on the grounds, too, especially around a giant bird cage, an aviary, which held birds with long feathers all the colors of the rainbow. Those were nice, but not as nice as what you saw when you went inside.

From the outside it just looked like an old brick mansion, but it held a lot of surprises. The double doors with the lion's head doorknockers opened into a large tiled entryway. In the wooden paneled walls all around, there were fish tanks with exotic and colorful fishes. The ceilings were painted with scenes from around the world, all full of plants and rare animals. Rooms opened off from there, but they were just rooms, and not what someone visited to see.

Continuing down the hall, you came to a large courtyard, which had been caged in, partly open to the sky. A pack of tiny monkeys shimmied up and down ornamental trees and swung from vines. You had to walk through a caged tunnel in their domain to cross into other parts of the house. They chattered and called out to whomever walked in, hoping for treats of fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Behind that, the hall continued to a room full of snakes and lizards in heated terrariums. It felt like a desert in that room, so dry and hot. It was not everyone's favorite room, but it certainly was interesting. The final room was actually out back, and definitely not something to miss.

You had to leave the building through the back doors and walk down a covered walkway to a large cage, much like the glass bird cage or a greenhouse, but much larger. It was there you would usually find Mr. Eckerd on a marble bench next to some carvings of jungle animals. He was watching the Bengal tiger that prowled back and forth inside the cage, a growling beast that occasionally showed its fangs, but seemed to have an understanding with its landlord.

Mr. Eckerd's house was the strangest and most unique place in town, a place very well worth seeing, but only if you had your parent's permission!

Use the information in the story to answer the questions below.

1. How was Mr. Eckerd's house different from the other houses in the colony?

2. Where can you NOT find images of animals at Mr. Eckerd's house?

A. on the gates

B. carved into the hedges

C. in tanks and cages

D. painted on the ceilings

3. What kind of live animal is NOT at Mr. Eckerd's house

A. fish

B. snakes and lizards

C. monkeys

D. elephants

4. Why do you think Mr. Eckerd didn't allow kids to enter his house without the permission of their parents?

5. Why is Mr. Eckerd's house called as the most unique and worth visiting? ( give two reasons)

6. Find the words from the passage which mean….

a) safe from danger or harm- 

b) very different, strange or unusual plant or animal- 

c) an official document that gives you permission to do, use or have something- 

d) walking in very lively and proud way- 

e) a fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs.-

f) an area of territory owned or controlled by a particular ruler or government.- 

g) a sealed transparent globe or similar container in which plants are grown.- 

h) move about restlessly and stealthily, especially in search of prey.- 

Directed writing:

Write a news-paper article about Mr. Eckerd's unique house and hobby. (Cover the following points)

• His hobby of adopting animals
• Describe his house
• Advice people to take care of their pets.

Grade 5 - Unseen Comprehension

The Unwanted Doll

Susie sat on the shelf in the store, a layer of dust coating her body.  She wanted to cry as she watched all the other toys go home. She had been in the store for a long time and everyone had forgotten about her.

Susie was once a beautiful rag doll, with bright yellow yarn for hair and big blue eyes. Her once pretty blue dress was in bad need of washing. She longed to go home with a special little girl and be loved and cherished but nobody ever looked at her when they came into the store. It was because she was missing an arm and nobody had ever bothered to sew it back on. Her arm sat beside her on the shelf day and night for a very long time, just sitting there waiting to be put back on her.  But nobody ever did.

It was Christmas again, the most magical time of the year.  All the toys in the store were flying off the shelves to go to loving children and warm, cozy homes. All, except Susie. She still sat there collecting dust, her arm lying beside her on the shelf.  It reminded her all the time of how unloved she was.

She wanted to cry so badly.

Nobody would ever take her home. She was doomed to sit on that shelf for the rest of her doll-life and be sad and lonely.

She watched as the little pink elephant went down off the shelf.  She watched as the little brown puppy dog went off the shelf.  She watched as the big, fuzzy green frog went off the shelf.  All the other dolls went off the shelf too.

She was left all alone again, one more time.

Christmas Eve came and it was early in the day yet.  Susie still sat on the shelf, feeling sadder than ever. She would never, ever be loved by a little girl. She would sit on that shelf forever and ever.

The bell on the door tinkled and she watched as a pretty young woman came in with a little girl. The little girl was in a wheelchair and had a cast on her right leg.

"Good morning," the pretty young woman said to the shop keeper.

"Good morning," Mr.  Brown replied as he looked at them over his spectacles. "What can I help you with?"

"This is my little girl Nicole," she introduced.  "She had an accident.  She fell while she was ice skating and broke her leg. She knows that Santa is coming tonight to bring her presents but I promised her that she could pick out something special for herself.  She wants a doll. Do you have any here?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. All my dolls sold out for the holiday."

"Mommy, look!" Susie's heart leapt into her chest when the little girl pointed to her.

"Look at that doll.  She looks so lonely there sitting by herself."

"You don't want that doll," Mr.  Brown told her.  "She's dusty and old and her arm is missing. It needs to be sewn back on.  To tell you the truth, I don't know why I still have her there. I should have put her in the garbage a long time ago."

"No," the little girl cried. "She needs to be loved too!"

"May we see her," the pretty, young woman asked.

Mr.  Brown scowled. "Suit yourself, miss." He went and took Susie down off the shelf and gave her to the little girl, missing arm and all.

The little girl hugged her close to her.  "Mama, please may I have her?  She's a pretty doll.  She's just broken like I am now."

"I suppose we could clean her up.  And it wouldn't be a problem to sew that arm back on." She looked at the shop keeper.  "How much, sir?"

"Well," Mr.  Brown scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose you could have her for free, since she was going to end up in the garbage anyway."

"But I must give you something for her," the mother insisted as she opened up her purse.

The shop keeper looked at the little girl, who was hugging Susie to her. She seemed so happy to have the dusty old doll and knew that the little girl would clean her up and have her looking pretty in no time.

"The smile on your little girl's face is enough payment for me." He bent down to look at Nicole.  "You will take care of her, won't you?"

She grinned up at him.  "Oh yes, I promise! I love her so much! She just needs a little bit of love and I will give it to her! Come on, sweetheart, let's go home now!"

And as the little girl cuddled her close to her, Susie never felt happier. It was the very merriest Christmas ever for the once unwanted doll!

      Read the passage and answer the questions given

below:

1.     Why did Susie often feel like crying?

2.     Describe Susie in short.

3.     Why did Mr. Brown say "You don't want that doll."

4.     Why did Nicole choose to take the unwanted doll (Susie) home with her?

5.     If you were Susie in the above passage, how would you feel when nobody wanted to take you home with them?

6.     Find words from the passage which mean:

a.     Likely to have an unfortunate and inescapable outcome.

b.     Giving a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation.   

c.      A piece of old cloth, especially one torn from a larger piece, used typically for cleaning things.

      Directed Writing:

      Imagine you are Nicole in the above passage. After you 

      go home with Susie    

      you make an entry in your diary. Include the following 

      points:

• Your feelings when you first saw the doll.
• Why did you buy the doll?

Grade 4 Unseen Comprehension 1.

Grade 4  Comprehension 1.           

The Magical Farm

Luke's father is a farmer. To be more precise, his dad is a fruit‐and‐vegetable farmer. Instead of cows, pigs, sheep, and horses, Luke's house is surrounded by corn, squash, lettuce, and tomatoes. Luke does not mind that, there are not any animals. In fact, he likes living on a fruit‐and vegetable farm much better. If you asked Luke, he would say that a fruit‐and‐vegetable farm is magical."What do you mean, magical?" Luke's friend Tom asked one day."Well, it's like this," said Luke. "My dad casts a spell, and soon enough the fruits and vegetables appear where there used to be bare dirt!" Now, Luke knows that this is not really magic. But all the same, he feels it is pretty special that his dad is able to create something as grand as a corn field where there used to be nothing.

Sometimes, Luke sets his alarm clock, so he can wake up before the sunrise, too. He eats cereal with his dad and asks him what spells he is going to cast. "I'm planting tomatoes today, son," Luke's father explained. "Tomatoes ripen best in very hot summer heat, so I need to plant the seeds early in spring. That way there will be tall, healthy tomato vines once August arrives."

"How do you make sure the vines grow tall and healthy?" Luke asked.

"They grow strong when you give them care and attention and have a little bit of hope," his father laughed. "Can I help?" Luke begged.

"Of course!" exclaimed his father. So on days Luke did not have school, he helped his father, and Luke learned more about his dad's magical work. Luke learned that a tomato plant indeed needs a lot of care. He spent one whole day in the early June sun, sinking wooden stakes into the ground by young tomato sprouts. After the tomato vines had grown a little taller, Luke tied them to the stakes, so that they would not topple over and lose their special fruit. "The tomatoes sure need a lot of attention!" Luke exclaimed one late afternoon. He had been double and triple tying the vines, because the weatherman had predicted wind and rain for that night. Luke's father wanted to make sure his tomatoes did not get blown over in the storm. "Most worthwhile things do require a lot of attention, Luke," replied his father with a smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Luke. "Well," said his father, standing up straight and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We should pay close attention to things that make our lives better." "That is why you pay attention to Mom?" asked Luke. "Yes," replied his father. "I pay close attention to you and Mom, because you both make my life better. You both make me very happy." The rest of Luke's work that day went by a lot quicker. Taking care of the tomato plants, Luke imagined he was taking care of his mom and dad. With a little bit of family magic and a lot of attention, Luke was certain these would be the most beautiful tomatoes he had ever seen once August arrived.

Read the given passage and answer the following questions:

1. What kind of farmer is Luke's dad?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Luke's father pays a lot of attention to his son.

    What evidence from the story supports this statement?

A Luke's father is a fruit-and-vegetable farmer.

B Luke's father says that most worthwhile things require a lot of attention.

C Luke's father pays a lot of attention to Luke's mother.

D Luke's father listens to his son's questions and answers them.

3. What is Luke's opinion of the work his father does?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. "Luke's father is a farmer. To be more precise, his dad is a fruit-and vegetable farmer." Why does the author start the second sentence with the words, "To be more precise"? Explain this sentence in your own words.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.  Why is Luke certain that the tomato plants he is working with will become "the most beautiful tomatoes he had ever seen" once August arrives?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directed writing:

Imagine you are Luke from the passage. Write a letter to your friend about your father's farm.

·        Why do you think your farm is magical?

·        How did you help your father in the farm?

·        What lesson did you learn from your father's advice?

Fwd: Grade 7-Practice Comprehension-August Month

                                                      A Planter's Retreat

Coonoor retains much of the old world charm, the residents fervently cling to tradition.  They continue to live largely untouched by the outside world. Their ups and downs metered by the growth or decline of the tea industry. The Coonoor season lasts from April to June.

Essentially plantation state, the town situated in the Nilgiri ranges of the Western Ghats, has not changed much from the time the pioneers opened up the land in the early 19^th century. Its near inaccessible hill tracts, dense jungles and malaria infested marshes have given way to plantations,   holds, timeshare resorts and blue gum covered hill sides. There are still more jungle trails and winding footpaths than roads.

There are numerous places of interest for the adventurous. The Sim's park, founded by J.D.Sim, is situated in a ravine and has several exotic species of plants and trees. Further ahead is the Dolphin's Nose where the road winds through forests and tea estates. Lady Canning's Seat is a rock where legend has it that the lady liked to rest her weary legs. It offers a panoramic view of the plains. Situated on the spur of the Hulikal ranges, the Droog was an outpost used by Tipu Sultan. A sheer drop on one side known as "Tipu's Drop" is supposedly the place from where Tipu threw his prisoners to their untimely death.

Hunting and trout fishing were past times of interest. To the West of Ootacamund, the Wenlock Downs provided an ideal place for riding to the hounds. But it was the jackal, not the customary fox, that was hunted.

Questions:

1.Write a summary of the above passage highlighting the main points of Coonoor.

2.What has given way to the inaccessible hill tracts and jungles?

3.There are more of something than the roads. What are they?

4.As mentioned in the first paragraph, can we relate to such a place in today's time.Why?

5. Find one word from the passage which means:

(i) explorer

(ii) continue to have or hold

6. Find the antonym word from the passage:

(i) straight                         (ii) sparse

7.Write the homophones for the following words:

(i)not         (ii) way      (iii) blue       (iv) road       (v) nose      (vi) place

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Descriptive Writing Session- Grade 9

On the morning of 4^th August 2014¸ our class grade 9 entered the AV room for our English lecture. We thought it would be a normal English session¸ with a long¸ never-ending PPT¸ but to our surprise¸ it turned out to be a complete fun-filled session.

It was a truly different way of communicating and explaining the techniques of writing a good descriptive essay. The words "moods" and "atmosphere" took a new perspective and were made so clear to us. Showing us some peppy¸ youthful songs accompanied by the classic emotional ones was a great unconventional way of teaching and learning. This was a very interactive session which will be etched in our memory for long.

Vaidehi and Vidhi- 9A