• Riddle no 1: I am Riddle no 2: When

shining and silver I enter a room, it

with an elegant shines bright. The
touch. You look shadows fear me as
into me, while you I make them blind.
still have to rush!
 Reading
comprehension
While reading a passage…
• Engage with the passage.
• Read the passage at a comfortable
speed.
• Identify Keywords/characters as you
read.
• Summarize the contents of each
paragraph in your own words.
That morning we found a cat stuck in our tree. The tree was not very firm. In fact, it
was unsteady but tall. Mom and dad looked at the cat in amazement wondering how did
it reach that height. The problem now was how to get the cat down. Dad offered to do
it. He asked us to leave the matter to him. However, mum was worried. When she asked
him to be careful and not fall. He laughed and replied, “Ha! Do not fret. I have always
been a great climber. To rescue this cat is a child’s play for me”

Dad got a ladder from the storeroom and placed it on the tree. As he moved steadily
showcasing his bright smile to us, he suddenly missed a step and slipped right down with
a thud. Mum and I helped him move the ladder aside and asked him to call for help. But
he refused curtly and started plotting another plan. This time he decided to swing
himself up on a branch but the branch broke and he fell down a little harder again. Mum
was getting restless by the minute but yet could not break dad’s determination to rescue
the cat. Finally dad decided to climb the huge garden wall surrounding our house and
take a leap of faith from the wall towards the unsteady tree. It was a huge risk, but dad
had done it!

However, dad’s selfless jump unexpectedly surprised the cat who sprung to the ground
with a yell! The cat mewed excitedly and sauntered its way back to the bushes but sadly
now the rescuer had to be rescued.
Answer the following questions:
• Who is the narrator of the story?
• Where did the family find the cat?
• Pick out the adjective that tells us more about the tree’s condition.
• Pick out the verbs and adverbs used to describe dad’s plan to rescue the
cat.
• How would you decribe the dad from the passage? Pick out words or
phrases from the passage.
• According to you, was the outcome of the rescue successful? why?
• Find two words from the passage that are similar in meaning to the
following:
a) pantry
b) unstable
Benefits:
• Increases reading speed.
• Improvement of vocabulary and understanding
of language.
• Making connections. (words into thoughts)
• An understanding of the different tones used
by the author/narrator.
• The power of visualizing.
 Assignment:
Conversation is a fine art. It is the art of exchanging thought. It is an art which anybody
can cultivate or master. Not everybody can paint or play music, but almost everyone can
talk. Thus it affords the greatest pleasure to the greatest number. ‘To talk”, says R.L.
Sleversan, “is our chief business in the world. And talk is by far the most accessible of
pleasures. It costs nothing in money, it is all profit. It completes our education, makes
friends and can be enjoyed at any age. Conversation is indeed the most teachable of all
the arts. All you need to do is to find a subject that interests you and your listeners.

For example, hobbies. There are infinite hobbies to talk about. But the important thing is
that you must talk about the other fellow’s hobby rather than your own. Therein lies the
secret of your popularity. There is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest
in their interest.
It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what subjects to select for
good conversation. If you don’t want to be set down as a bore, avoid certain unpleasant
topics. Avoid talking about yourself unless you are asked to do so. Sickness or death bores
everybody. The only one who willingly listens to such talk is, the doctor, but he gets paid
for it. You must also know not only what to say but also how to say it.
Questions to solve:
• How does the author define and explain the art of
conversation?
• How is talking easier to learn than other fine arts?
What are the subjects one can easily talk about?
• Which topics usually bore the listener?
• What should be avoided unless you are asked to do so?
• Find out words from the above passage similar in meaning to
the following:
(a) acquire or develop
(b) within reach
(c) make happy.
Thank you!