Grade 3 Unseen Passage With Answers

GRADE 3                   Unseen Passages                       

                                  The Apple Tree

Read the passage and answer the questions given below.

There was once an old apple tree in a farmer's garden. It could not bear fruit anymore. But a large number of sparrows, squirrels and other small birds and insects lived in the tree. One day the farmer decided to cut down the tree. ``It has become useless," he said to himself. "But its wood is still strong. I can make some tables and chairs with the wood."  He took a sharp axe in his hands and stuck at the roots of the tree.

            At once, the birds and animals in the tree cried aloud. The grasshoppers, the sparrows and the squirrels came out of their holes and nests. ``Please sir," they begged the farmer. ``Save this tree. It's our only home!" But the farmer did not listen to them. He went on striking at the tree harder and harder. As the farmer raised his axe one more time, he saw something in the hollow of the tree. It was a beehive. It was full of honey. He tasted the honey. "Ummmmm! It tastes so sweet," he said. ``So," said the farmer, ``the tree is not useless after all. If I take some honey now, the bees will make more. They won't go away from their home."

         "Listen!" he cried to the birds and the insects, "I shall not cut down this tree. It's your home. You can live in peace now." And he threw his axe away. "The farmer isn't a kind man," said the sparrows, the grasshoppers and the squirrels,

"He wants the tree because there is honey in the beehive."

But they cried out of joy. Their homes were safe.

1. The farmer wanted to cut the tree .Why?

a. A large number of birds and animals lived in the tree.

b. The tree did not bear any fruit.

c. The tree wood was very weak.

2. What did the farmer want to do with the wood?

a. make tables and chairs.

b. build a big house

c. use it for making ash by burning the wood.

3.The birds and animals begged the farmer to save the tree. Why?

a. It was a beautiful tree.

b. Its wood was strong.

c. The tree was their only home.

4. The farmer did not cut the tree down. Why?

a. He loved the small birds and animals.

b. He wanted to get honey from the beehive.

c. He wanted to show pity on birds and animals.

5. Do you think the farmer was kind to the animals? Why?

Application based question

6. Why did the farmer decided at the end not to cut down the tree?

The farmer decided not to cut down the tree because, he found a beehive in the hollow of the tree and he thought that he would get sweet honey from it.

Language Record

Word	Word Class	Meaning	Frame Sentence
struck	verb	hit with great force.	_________________________________________ ________________________________________
hard	adjective	firm,  solid	________________________________________ ________________________________________

Directed Writing

Imagine you are the farmer from the passage. Share your experience about the old apple tree in your garden.

Points to be included:

a.     You decided to cut the old apple tree.

b.     Birds and animals pleaded you to not to destroy their homes.

c.      You do not listen to them and continue chopping the tree.

d.     Finally/At the end when you see a beehive in the tree you decide not to cut down the tree.

CAN BE WRITTEN IN YOUR OWN WORDS

          I am a farmer. I had many trees in my garden. All the trees were strong and bared good juicy fruits, except for the apple tree. The apple tree had grown old and did not bear any fruits, though its wood was very strong which was useful for me to make tables and chairs. So one fine day I decided to cut down the old apple tree.

         I took a sharp axe in my hands and started to strike at the roots of the tree. When I raised my axe, the sparrows, the grasshoppers and the squirrels cried out loudly and started pleading with me not to cut down the old apple tree as it was their only home.

         I was in a hurry as I wanted to finish chopping the tree by that afternoon. I went on striking at the tree harder and harder. I just wanted to concentrate on my work, so I just did not listen to the birds and the animals and went on chopping the tree.

            While I was chopping the tree, I saw something in the hollow of the tree.  To my surprise it was a beehive. It was full of honey. I tasted it. It was ummmmm and so sweet. I got a bit greedy and thought that if I cut down the tree now, the honey bees would go away and I would miss the opportunity to get the sweet honey. So, I decided not to cut the tree as the honey would be very beneficial to me. The birds and animals also cried out in joy, when they came to know that I was not going to cut down the old apple tree and their homes were safe.