Taro’s Reward
(EXERCISE)
Working with the text.
1. Answer the following questions.
Q. 1: Why did Taro run in the direction of the stream? (5)Answer: Because Taro was very thirsty. He had never seen a rushing stream or heard the sound of falling water in that part of the forest.
Q. 2: How did Taro’s father show his happiness after drinking saké? (7)
Answer: When Taro's father swallowed a sip of the liquid, he stopped shivering and became energetic and did a little dance in the middle of the floor.
Q. 3: Why did the waterfall give Taro saké and others water? (12)
Answer: Because Taro was a very thoughtful and dutiful son to his parents. He used to serve his parents with dedication. The saké from the waterfall was a reward for his goodness. On the other hand, the people of his village got plain water because they were greedy.
Q. 4: Why did the villagers want to drown Taro? (10, 11)
Answer: When the villagers went to the waterfall with big pitchers and vessels to collect saké, they simply got plain water from the waterfall. They thought that Taro had fooled and tricked them. Hence, they decided to punish him by drowning him in the same waterfall.
Q. 5:Why did the Emperor reward Taro? (13)
Answer: Taro was a very dutiful son to his parents and served them with devotion. The Emperor rewarded him with twenty pieces of gold for having been so good and kind to his parents.
- Mark the right item.
(i) he didn’t work hard enough.
(ii) the villagers didn’t need wood.
(iii) the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money
(i) to live a more comfortable life.
(ii) to buy his old father some saké.
(iii) to repair the cracks in the hut.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because
(i) she was delighted with the drink.
(ii) she was astonished to hear Taro’s story.
(iii) she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.
Answer: 1. Taro earned very little money because (iii) the price of wood was very low.
2. Taro decided to earn extra money (ii) to buy his old father some sake.
3. The neighbour left Taro’s hut in a hurry because (iii) she wanted to tell the whole village about the waterfall.
Working with Language
A: Strike off the words in the box below that are not suitable.
Taro wanted to give his old parents everything they needed.
This shows that he was …
Taro wanted to give his old parents everything they needed.
This shows that he was …
| thoughtful | hardworking | loving | honest |
| considerate | trustworthy | efficient | kind |
B: 1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”
‘This’ refers to
(i) a strong wind that began to blow.
(ii) Taro’s father’s old age.
(iii) Taro’s inability to buy expensive saké for his father.
(Mark the right item.)
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
‘This’ refers to
(i) the most beautiful fountain in the city.
(ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
(iii) sending for Taro to hear his story.
(Mark the right item.)
Answer: 1. “This made Taro sadder than ever.”
‘This’ refers to:
(iii) Taro’s inability to buy expensive saké for his father.
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
‘This’ refers to
(ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
C: Arrange the words below in pairs that rhyme.
Example: young – lung
money – sunny
2. “This, said the emperor, was to encourage all children to honour and obey their parents.”
‘This’ refers to
(ii) rewarding Taro with gold and giving the fountain his name.
C: Arrange the words below in pairs that rhyme.
Example: young – lung
money – sunny
| young | sad | money | chop | lung | last |
| wax | could | bad | sound | axe | wood |
| way | stop | sunny | fast | round | day |
Answer: 1. bed red, shed
2. wax axe, tax
3. fast last, cast
4. chop hop, shop
D: 1. Fill in the blanks with words from the box.
2. wax axe, tax
3. fast last, cast
4. chop hop, shop
D: 1. Fill in the blanks with words from the box.
| lonely | little | hard | young |
| thoughtful | delicious | young | -------- |
A ——— woodcutter lived on a ——— hillside. He was a —————— son who
worked ———— but earned —----—— money. One day he saw ——
waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it ——————–.
Answer: A young woodcutter lived on a lonely hillside. He was a thoughtful son who worked hard but earned little money. One day he saw a beautiful waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it delicious.
2. Find these sentences in the story and fill in the blanks.
(i) This made Taro —— than ever. (3)
(ii) He decided to work—than before. (3)
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed —————— than usual.(4)
(iv) He began to chop even —–———. (4)
(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even ——— than the morning before. (10)
Answer:
(i) This made Taro sadder than ever.
(ii) He decided to work harder than before.
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed earlier than usual.
(iv) He began to chop even faster.
(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even earlier than the morning before.
(i) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood.
(ii) Betty bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter was a little bitter so she bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better.
Answer: Activity to be done by yourself.
worked ———— but earned —----—— money. One day he saw ——
waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it ——————–.
Answer: A young woodcutter lived on a lonely hillside. He was a thoughtful son who worked hard but earned little money. One day he saw a beautiful waterfall hidden behind a rock. He tasted the water and found it delicious.
2. Find these sentences in the story and fill in the blanks.
(i) This made Taro —— than ever. (3)
(ii) He decided to work—than before. (3)
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed —————— than usual.(4)
(iv) He began to chop even —–———. (4)
(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even ——— than the morning before. (10)
Answer:
(i) This made Taro sadder than ever.
(ii) He decided to work harder than before.
(iii) Next morning, Taro jumped out of bed earlier than usual.
(iv) He began to chop even faster.
(v) Next morning, Taro started for work even earlier than the morning before.
Speaking and Writing
Q. A: Speak the following sentences clearly but as quickly as you can. Learn them by heart.(i) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood.
(ii) Betty bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter was a little bitter so she bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better.
Answer: Activity to be done by yourself.
B: 1. The story ‘Taro’s Reward’ shows that Taro is thoughtful, hardworking and also wise. Read aloud the parts of story that show these qualities in Taro.
Answer: (i )…. for he was a thoughtful son and wanted to give his old parents everything they needed. (Para 1)
(ii)Though he worked very hard, he earned very little money. (Para 1)(iii)But Taro had been wise enough to slip behind a rock…………….. (Para 11)
2. (i) Like Patrick in the story ‘Who did Patrick’s Homework’, Taro is helped by magic. Do you believe in magic? What are the magical things that happen in these stories?
Answer: I do believe in magic. It is not all sleight of hand or mesmerism. There is some supernatural agency that carries out the tricks.
In the case of Patrick, there was an elf or small man. He was not one like us. In the case of Taro, there appears a waterfall behind the rocks. Secondly, its water tasted like sake. These were magical things.
(ii) Which story do you like better, and why? Do you know such stories in other languages? Discuss these questions in class.
Answer: Truly speaking, I like both the stories because both are interesting and educative. Secondly, both have a touch of magic. Still, Patrick’s story is better than Taro’s. Patrick learns to do homework unknowingly.
3. Now write a paragraph or two about these two stories, comparing them.
Answer: Patrick hated homework. He played hockey and basketball instead. This was something quite natural. All children find doing homework boring and dull. Taro, on the other hand, was a thoughtful, wise and hardworking boy. He was just the opposite of Patrick. Even God favours and rewards such a boy. A magical waterfall gave him an intoxicating drink for his old father. Both the stories teach us lessons.
Answer: I do believe in magic. It is not all sleight of hand or mesmerism. There is some supernatural agency that carries out the tricks.
In the case of Patrick, there was an elf or small man. He was not one like us. In the case of Taro, there appears a waterfall behind the rocks. Secondly, its water tasted like sake. These were magical things.
(ii) Which story do you like better, and why? Do you know such stories in other languages? Discuss these questions in class.
Answer: Truly speaking, I like both the stories because both are interesting and educative. Secondly, both have a touch of magic. Still, Patrick’s story is better than Taro’s. Patrick learns to do homework unknowingly.
3. Now write a paragraph or two about these two stories, comparing them.
Answer: Patrick hated homework. He played hockey and basketball instead. This was something quite natural. All children find doing homework boring and dull. Taro, on the other hand, was a thoughtful, wise and hardworking boy. He was just the opposite of Patrick. Even God favours and rewards such a boy. A magical waterfall gave him an intoxicating drink for his old father. Both the stories teach us lessons.
C:
1. Listen to these children. What are they talking about?
Answer: The three boys are discussing their problems. The first boy considers swimming to be more difficult than driving. The second boy disagrees with it. He thinks that swimming is much less difficult than driving. However, the third boy thinks that learning English is the most difficult task in comparison to swimming and driving.
1. Listen to these children. What are they talking about?
Answer: The three boys are discussing their problems. The first boy considers swimming to be more difficult than driving. The second boy disagrees with it. He thinks that swimming is much less difficult than driving. However, the third boy thinks that learning English is the most difficult task in comparison to swimming and driving.
2. Work in groups. Come to some agreement on each of the activities given below. Decide which is the most interesting, dullest, most dangerous, safest, most rewarding, most exciting.
| cooking | fishing | playing football |
| knitting | dancing | listening to music |
| reading | sewing | mountain climbing |
| walking | swimming | learning language |
| painting | watching TV | stamp collecting |
Answer: most interesting: dancing, watching TV, listening to music
dullest: knitting, sewing, learning languages
most dangerous: mountain climbing
safest: walking, stamp collecting
most rewarding: cooking, reading, fishing, painting
most exciting: playing football, swimming
dullest: knitting, sewing, learning languages
most dangerous: mountain climbing
safest: walking, stamp collecting
most rewarding: cooking, reading, fishing, painting
most exciting: playing football, swimming
Dictation
1: Your teacher will speak the words given below. Write against each two new words that rhyme with it.
1. bed _______ , ________ , _________.
2. wax _______ , ________ , _________.
3. fast _______ , ________ , _________.
4. chop _______ , ________ , _________.
5. young _______ , ________ , _________.
Answer:
1. bed red, shed
2. wax axe, tax
3. fast last, cast
4. chop hop, shop
5. young tongue, unsung
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