Interactions

Activity Book on Listening and Speaking

for Classes VI to X
Interactions
Activity Book on Listening and Speaking
for Classes VI to X
 ISBN 978-93-5292-332-8
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Training, 2020
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 Foreword
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) strives
to create material  —  both print and audio–visual — to enrich the learning
experiences of children. Language learning is a key area in school curriculum
that aims at developing proficiency for effective communication and knowledge
acquisition. It is central to children’s intellectual, social and emotional growth.
To facilitate language learning, it is important to provide learners with an input-
rich communication environment.
Language learning becomes meaningful when it is connected with the
immediate environment of the learners. Since language development refers to
the skills used in expressing and communicating ideas, it involves the aspects
of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening and speaking, which are
the precursors to language learning process, are often not addressed due to
lack of material and training. This activity book on developing communication
skills has been designed with focus on developing listening and speaking skills,
which would further help develop reading and writing skills among the learners.
The activities will, thereby, help achieve the learning outcomes. Hence, the
children will be able to use language creatively with a sense of the audience.
Language is the basis for thinking, communicating and learning. Children
need language skills to comprehend ideas and information, interact socially,
inquire into areas of interest and study, express themselves clearly and
demonstrate their learning. The activities are, therefore, linked to life outside the
school to create sociocultural contexts that would encourage them to participate
actively in understanding and creating appropriate communicative practices.
It is to be viewed as a key element in the curriculum that children’s language
must be developed through meaningful experiences rather than mere drill.
The success of this effort depends on the steps that school principals and
teachers take to encourage children to reflect on their learning, and pursue
activities and tasks. The NCERT appreciates the hard work done by the book
development team.The Council welcomes suggestions from students, teachers
and parents, which will enable us to undertake further refinement.

Hrushikesh Senapaty
Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
August 2018 Research and Training
 Note to the teacher

Children’s development, normally, moves from hearing to listening, speaking

to reading, and finally, writing. A child listens to a language at home, imitates
the sounds heard, and after some time, produces the same sounds. Initially,
imitation of sounds has no meaning. But, gradually, the child learns that
sounds bring comfort. Different vibrations produce different results and the
child attaches meaning to them. The child moves from listening to speaking.
When the child goes to school, one learns two more aspects of language, i.e.,
reading and writing. With time, the child continues to refine the skills in each
of these aspects.
With focus only on reading and writing, listening and speaking are often
neglected, and children do not develop communicative skills. Listening and
speaking are the two dimensions of language, which need to be given due
importance in the teaching–learning process. Though all four dimensions need
to be developed in conjunction, the activities required to develop each skill or
dimension are different. While the focus would be on one dimension, the other
dimensions would also be developed simultaneously.
This activity book has been developed so that listening and speaking lead
to reading and writing.

Listening
Listening is one of the most important skills for second language learners. Also,
it is one of the most challenging skills. Listening, at this stage, is crucial so
that children are able to listen carefully to views put forward, reflect on them,
and accordingly, respond.

Speaking
Speaking is a natural part of communication and can be used for learning in
pairs, small and large groups. It is a way of expressing feelings and thoughts
in a number of genres, and is linked to reading and writing. It is closely aligned
to listening.
There are 58 activities in the book that can be done across the stages from
Classes VI to X. The activities cover a range of themes across the curriculum
and have the scope to connect with the outside world from local to global.
Self, family, home, friends, neighbourhood, environment and sustainable
development, maintenance of resources, animals and plants, art and craft,
sports and games, travel, media, science and technology, health and hygiene,
peace, etc., are some of the themes covered in this activity book.
 Each activity begins with the learning outcomes to be achieved, followed by
a ‘warm-up’. Warm-up is a scaffolding activity to develop vocabulary and ideas
related to the listening and speaking tasks that follow. It is recommended that
teachers play the video or read out the text twice or thrice so that the students
are able to comprehend and enjoy doing the tasks.
In order to provide balanced listening instruction to the students, one needs
to focus on the process of listening rather than just the product, and needs
to offer them opportunities for independent practice and explicit instruction,
extensive and focused listening, challenges and motivating experiences of
success. Encourage the children to do the following.
Predict and listen: Ask the students to work in small groups to make
predictions about the content and keywords. They will, then, listen to the text
(audio or video) to check their predictions and note down additional information.
Discuss and listen: These groups will now discuss what they hear and the
things that they do not understand. After the second round of listening, the
class needs to work together to outline the key contents of the listening text
with the help of the teacher.
Listen and reflect: The students will listen to the text again and note down the
information that they might have missed out in the first two rounds. Finally,
they will reflect on their listening skill.
Even as this activity book is student-centric, it needs to be balanced with
explicit instruction by the teachers.
Learning to communicate with clarity and precision  —  orally, writing and
through a variety of media will help the students understand the world around
them as language is a window to the world. Most importantly, through language,
the children can be sensitised to the physical and social environment, life skills
and values.
Language learning and teaching have undergone rapid changes in the late
twentieth century. Therefore, language assessment also needs to change. To
improve language assessment, we need to appreciate the fact that it is not only
the language that is being assessed but the process of assessing, too, is equally
important and impacts performance and learning of children.
The listening text (which have been taken from various sources like books,
newspapers, websites, etc.) for all activities are given in Appendix. The activity
and appendix number correspond with each other. The teachers may record
the texts given in the Appendix on a mobile phone or tape recorder or read
them out before the class. They must read at a slow pace for the learners to
comprehend and respond accordingly.

vi
 book development team
Members
Chhaya Sawhney, Associate Professor, Kamala Nehru College, University of
Delhi, New Delhi
Gayatri Khanna, ELT Consultant, New Delhi
Gazala Sidiqui, Lecturer (English), Jamia Senior Secondary School, Jamia Millia
Islamia, New Delhi
Madumita Sen, PGT (English), Venkateshwar International School, Sector 10,
Dwarka, New Delhi
Mamta Saluja, Lecturer (English), Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, BT Block,
Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi
Manu Gulati, TGT (English), Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya No. 2, West Punjabi
Bagh, New Delhi
Meenakshi Khar, Associate Professor, Department of Education in Languages,
NCERT, New Delhi
Mukti Sanyal, Professor, Bharati College, University of Delhi, New Delhi
Nisha Tiwari, Assistant Professor, Bharati College, University of Delhi, New Delhi
Padmini Baruah, Associate Professor, Department of ELT, Assam University,
Assam
P. Rajeshwary, Former Deputy Director, CBSE, New Delhi
R. Meganathan, Professor, Department of Education in Languages, NCERT,
New Delhi
Renu Anand, ELT Consultant, New Delhi
Ruchi Kaushik, Associate Professor, Sri Ram College of Commerce, University
of Delhi, New Delhi
Sonia Makhija, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Rajouri Garden Extension, New
Delhi
Vinita Chopra, Assistant Professor, Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi,
New Delhi
Member-coordinator
Kirti Kapur, Professor, Department of Education in Languages, NCERT, New
Delhi
 acknowledgements

The Council expresses its gratitude to all those people, who helped in
the development of this activity book on improving the communication
skills of children of Classes VI–X. Sandhya Singh, Professor and Head,
Chaman Ara Khan, Associate Professor, and Pramod Kumar Dubey, Associate
Professor, Department of Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi, are
acknowledged for their valuable contribution and guidance.
Thanks are also due to the Publication Division, NCERT, for rendering
constant support in developing and finalising this activity book. The Council
acknowledges the efforts of Sweta Jha, Editor (contractual), for copyediting
and bringing the activity book to this shape. Gunjan Sogani, freelance
Copyeditor, is also appreciated. Surender Kumar, DTP Operator, NCERT, and
Kirti and Mohammad Atir, DTP Operators (contractual), are also appreciated
for their efforts.
Blue Fish Designs Pvt. Ltd. is appreciated for designing the cover and doing
the layout of this activity book.
 Contents
Foreword iii
Note to the Teacher v
1. Sports and Games 1
2. Art and Craft 4
3. Cooking 6
4. Trees 9
5. Entertainment 11
6. Health and Fitness 13
7. Conservation of Species 16
8. Family Ties and Celebrations 19
9. Peace and Harmony 22
10. Co-curricular Activities 24
11. Places of Tourist Attraction 26
12. Travel 28
13. Kindness towards Birds and Animals 31
14. Everyday Heroes 33
15. Adventure Sports 35
16. World History 37
17. Leadership 39
18. Sports 41
19. Heroes 43
20. Science and Technology 45
21. Values 48
22. Friends 50
23. Environment 52
24. Art and Culture 55
25. Farm Animals 58
26. Food 61
27. Imagination and Fantasy 64
28. Friend from Space 66
29. Telephonic Conversation 69
30. Indigenous Sports 71
31. Picture Reading 74
32. Water 76
33. Water – Our Life 78
34. Conservation of Water 80
35. Education 82
36. Outdoor Games 84
37. Adolescence 87
38. Reading 89
39. Health 91
40. Parents and Children 93
41. Social Issues 96
42. Culnary Treat 98
43. Hobbies 101
44. Handicrafts 103
45. Agriculture 105
46. Travel and Tourism 107
47. Self, Friends and Others 109
48. Creating Gender Equality 111
49. Cricket 113
50. Language and Culture 115
51. Pets or Domestic Animals 117
52. Happiness 119
53. Rights and Duties 121
54. Society and Culture 123
55. Social Welfare 125
56. Technology 127
57. Perspectives 130
58. Communication 133
59. Appendix 1 to 58 137–181

x
 1 Sports AND GAMES
Let us
Learning Outcomes play
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
express their thoughts and ideas coherently.

listen to the interview and answer the questions based on it.

talk about the qualities of a sportsperson.

Warm-up
A. 1. Who is your favourite sportsperson?
2. In what way is the sportsperson’s achievement exceptional?
3. What are the major achievements of the sportsperson in
the f ield? Paste here
4. In what way can the sportsperson be considered an
inspiration for the students?
5. Paste the picture of the sportsperson in the marked space.
 B. Create a ‘Wall of Fame’ in your class and display your write-ups there.

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to Rahul and Rima interview Mary Kom. Choose the correct
option and fill in the blanks.
1. Rahul and Rima interviewed Mary Kom for __________________________.
(a) their school magazine (b) a local newspaper
(c) their school project (d) knowledge about boxing

2. As a child, Mary Kom enjoyed ___________________________ the most.

(a) boxing (b) wrestling
(c) martial arts (d) jogging
3. Mary Kom helped her parents by ____________________________.
(a) teaching boxing in a school (b) working in the fields
Mary Kom (c) giving interviews in papers (d) playing all kind of sports

4. In a fight against heavier champions, Mary __________________________.

(a) gets scared and loses focus
(b) gets distracted and is not able to concentrate
(c) hits quickly, and then, gets out even faster
(d) trains hard and regularly

5. Mary Kom runs an academy only for students from Manipur as

______________________.
(a) she feels they are too poor to go anywhere else
(b) she does not have facilities to take in more children
(c) she looks after their food and stay
(d) others may have to work in fields

2 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the qualities of a sportsperson in your group and complete the
word web given below.

dedication

Qualities of a
sportsperson

B. Talk about the qualities of a sportsperson.

Sports and Games 3

 2 Art and Craft
Origami: ar
t
with paper
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in

the given text.

follow the instructions and create an object.

give clear instructions.

Warm-up
A. Take a sheet of paper and create something by folding it in different
ways. Show the class what you have made and describe how you
made it.

Activity I Listening
A. Take an A–4 or A–5 size art paper or a paper from a rough notebook or
newspaper. Now, listen to the instructions to make a boat. Listen to
the instructions twice.
 B. Check if your boat has obtained the desired shape or not. The best
pieces can be displayed on the classroom display board.

Activity II Speaking
A. Look at the pictures given below and give instructions to your friend
to make a dog’s head.

i ii

iv

iii

B. You can write down the instructions in the space given below.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Art and Craft 5

 3 Cooking
Happy
cooking!
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

learn words related to cooking.

follow the process description.

write a recipe.

rearrange the sentences in sequence.

speak about the given process.

Warm-up
A. Complete the word web given below with words that you associate
with ‘cooking’.

Cooking

B. Look at the pictures given below. These are the ingredients required
for making tea. How would you make a cup of tea? What are the steps
that you would follow? Your teacher will invite you to share the recipe
with the class. Present the steps carefully so that others can follow
them and make tea.

Tea leaves Water Sugar

Milk
 Activity I Listening
A. Look at the photograph given below. It shows a dish called ‘spicy
potato curry’. Can you identify the ingredients you see in the dish?

B. Listen to the recipe for preparing ‘spicy potato curry’.

But before you listen, read the instructions given below
to cook the dish. The instructions are not in sequence.
So, when you listen to the recipe, write down the
correct sequence of the steps from 1 to 10. Finally,
check your answers with your friends.
1. Next, add two heaped teaspoons of dry roasted and
ground masala (coriander, cumin and sesame seeds).
2. Blend garlic, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves
to a fine paste. Add some water and salt (to taste) to
the mixture.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, serve hot.
4. Boil, cool and peel half-a-kg of potatoes, and dice them into
small pieces.
5. Finely chop three onions and three to four green chillies.
6. As the oil starts separating, add the potatoes.
7. Then, add coriander, ginger, garlic and green chilly paste, and fry it
for some time.
8. Boil, cool and peel four large tomatoes, and grind them to a puree.
9. Dry roast some coriander, cumin and sesame seeds. Allow the mixture
to cool and grind.
10. Heat two tablespoons of oil, add chopped onions and tomato puree,
and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

Activity II Speaking
A. Take 10 minutes and write down the recipe of a food item that you
can cook or prepare. Take turns to share your recipe with your friend.
Follow the steps given below to talk about your recipe.
Step 1: What are the ingredients and their quantities required to
prepare the recipe?
Step 2: How are the ingredients readied (i.e., what is to be peeled, cut,
dry roast and ground, etc.)?
Step 3: How is the dish cooked?
Step 4: How is it served?
Cooking 7
 B. Your friend needs to take down quick notes in the columns given
below. After you finish, discuss your notes with your friend and check
whether the person has noted down the correct information.

Step 1 : ___________________________________________________________

Step 2 : ___________________________________________________________

Step 3 : ___________________________________________________________

Step 4 : ___________________________________________________________

8 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 4 Trees
Save trees,
save futur
Learning Outcomes e!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

listen to the information as given in the text and answer the

questions based on it.

work with their friends and draft slogans on conservation

of trees.
perform a role-play on protecting trees from being felled.

Warm-up
A. Read the slogan given below and discuss it in class.
If you cut a tree, you kill a life.

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage and answer the following questions.
1. When did the first movement against felling of trees begin?
(a) seventeenth century (b) eighteenth century
(c) nineteenth century (d) twentieth century

2. Why did the Chipko activists embrace trees?

(a) They liked to play in the shade of the trees.
(b) They wanted to prevent the contractors from felling them.
(c) They loved the fruits growing on them.
(d) Those were the first trees they had planted.

3. Complete the slogan coined by the villagers. ‘The forests bear,’

(a) soil, pure air and water (b) water, pure air and soil
(c) pure air, soil and water (d) soil, water and pure air
 4. Identify the statement which is not true about Sunderlal Bahuguna.

(a) He was a Gandhian activist. (b) He was a philosopher.

(c) He was a poet. (d) He coined the Chipko slogan.

B. Fill in the blanks on the basis of the passage.

1. The first movement to stop the felling of trees was started by the
______________________ community.

2. The first Chipko Movement began in the month of April in

______________________.

______________________ was the activist who encouraged local women

3.
to save trees.

4. Women formed a ______________________ around trees to prevent

people from felling them.

C. Name any two Chipko leaders apart from Sunderlal Bahuguna.

1.
_____________________________ 2.
_____________________________

Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss with your friend and draft slogans on conservation of trees.
Put them up on the classroom bulletin board.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. While going on a walk, you suddenly come across a ‘talking tree’. You
end up having a conversation with the tree. What will you talk about
with the tree? Work with your friend and present the conversation
before the class.

10 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 5 Entertainment
The Tom
and Jerry
Show
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

learn about the origin and popularity of the cartoon show.

listen carefully and identify the main points of the text.

explore their preferences for entertainment programmes.

express themselves clearly in complete sentences.

Warm-up
A. Do you like watching cartoons? Which is your favourite cartoon show?
Tell your classmates about your favourite cartoon show on TV.
You could talk about the following.
What is the programme about?
Why do you enjoy watching the programme?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the talk about The Tom and Jerry Show and its
creators. As you listen, complete the following statements by
filling in the blanks with three or four words. Before you start
listening to the conversation, read the statements so that you
know what information you must listen for.
1. The children were going to see a Tom and Jerry film called
____________________________.
2. In the film the children are about to watch, Tom, the cat, gets a
___________________________.
3. The Tom and Jerry films were first produced by _____________.
The Tom and Jerry Show was started in ____________________.
4.
 5. Tom was first a white cat called _______________________ and Jerry was
called _______________________.
6. Two reasons for the popularity of Tom and Jerry are:
(a) Tom learns _______________________.
(b) _______________________ even by those who do not know English.

Activity II Speaking
A. Talk to six friends and complete the following questionnaire.

Name of the Favourite Reason for Frequency of Learning from

student cartoon show liking it watching it the show
on TV

B. Based on your findings, tell your classmates about the cartoon show
that is most popular among your friends and reasons for the same.

12 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 6 Health and
Fitness
Fitness
matters!
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

listen and identify the main points of the text.

appreciate the importance of healthy eating.

talk about healthy eating habits.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Put a tick (3) mark against the
food items that are healthy and a cross (7) against those that are not.
Discuss why the food items marked with a cross are not healthy.

i ii iii iv

v vi vii viii

ix x xi xii
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a radio show, where a nutritionist answers listeners’ queries
regarding healthy eating habits. Complete each statement by choosing
the correct option. Before you listen to the conversation, read the
statements given below to see what information you must listen for.
1. The name of the radio show is ____________________________.
(a) ‘Radio Apna Show’ (b) ‘Fitness for All’
(c) ‘My Nutrition Show’ (d) ‘ABC Nutrition Centre’

2. A nutritionist is a person who _______________________.

(a) gives radio programmes on health and nutrition
(b) examines the human body and its functions
(c) conducts research on vegetables and fruits
(d) studies the effects that food has on our bodies

3. Unhealthy eating habits may result in health problems like

_____________________.
(a) obesity and heart diseases (b) laziness and obesity
(c) laziness and heart diseases (d) obesity and dietary imbalance

4. One can remain healthy by _______________________.

(a) going on a diet (b) eating the right food
(c) eating an apple a day (d) snacking on junk food

5. An unhealthy eating habit is _______________________.

(a) stir-frying the vegetables
(b) snacking on chocolates and cakes
(c) combining vegetables and fruits
(d) adding one extra vegetable
to the main meal

14 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Activity II Speaking
A. Sameer likes to eat food items from roadside vendors. As a result, he
often falls sick. Discuss ways by which he can overcome this habit.

i ii iii

You could use the following words and phrases.

Eat healthy food — green vegetables and fruits.
Avoid junk food.
Maintain hygiene.
Eat fresh food.

Health and Fitness 15

 7 Conservation
of Species
Saving the
Learning Outcomes Olive Ridley
turtles
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

talk about the preservation of endangered species.

listen to the passage and complete the sentences based on it.

understand and discuss reasons for the extinction of some of

the endangered species.

Warm-up
A. Can you list some endangered animals and birds in India?

Tiger
1.
_________________________ 2.
___________________________

3.
___________________________ 4.
___________________________

5.
___________________________

B. What are the reasons some animals are endangered?

Discuss in your group.

killed for fur that is used to make coats

1. _____________________________________________________.

2.
_____________________________________________________.

3.
_____________________________________________________.

4.
_____________________________________________________.

5.
_____________________________________________________.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the story about poachers trying to steal the eggs of Olive
Ridley turtles. As you listen, complete each statement by choosing the
correct option. Before you listen to the passage, read the statements
and find out what information you should be listening for.

1. Olive Ridley turtles live in __________________________________________.

(a) warm seas (b) coastal areas (c) rivers (d) lakes

2. Arribada is the time when ______________________________________.

(a) Olive Ridley female turtles return to beaches where
they hatch eggs
(b) Olive Ridley turtles return to oceans to lay eggs
(c) Olive Ridley turtles hatch eggs and the hatchlings come ashore
(d) Olive Ridley turtles migrate a thousand miles away

3. Raghu and Leena saw some men who were __________________________.

(a) stealing the turtles’ eggs (b) swimming in the sea
(c) trapping the turtles (d) deflating the tyres of a jeep

4. To catch the men, Raghu and Leena ________________________________.

(a) ran as fast as they could
(b) called their mother for help
(c) deflated the tyres of their jeep
(d) called the coastguard

5. What quality of children helped nab the poachers?

(a) honesty (b) courage (c) determination (d) presence of mind

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups and design a poster to spread awareness on the need
for preserving endangered species.

Conservation of Species 17
 B. Discuss with your group and write down the ways in
which we can help save endangered species.

Awareness
campaigns

Saving
endangered
species

18 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 8 Family ties and
Celebrations
Learning Outcomes Father’s
Learners will be able to: Day
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

appreciate family bonds and values, and parents’ love.

listen to the passage and note down important details.

write a poem on father.

write a paragraph on mother.

Warm-up
A. Work in groups and list the responsibilities that a father has towards
his family.

Earning money to provide for the family

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

B. What are some of the activities that you and your father do together?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

C. How do you celebrate Father’s Day?

D. Do you feel that Father’s Day has become commercialised?

E. Suggest a way in which we can celebrate Father’s Day without spending

too much money.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage on the origin of Father’s Day. As you listen,
complete the table given below by using three or four words. Before
you listen, read the statements to find out what information you
should actually be listening for.

Year Event

1. _____________ (a) The idea of Father’s Day was first proposed by Sonora Dodd
of Washington.

2. 1910 (b) The first Father’s Day celebration _________________________________

________________________________________________________.

3. _____________ (c)
President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of National
Father’s Day.

4. 1966 (d) __________________________________________ signed a presidential

proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day.

Activity II Speaking
A. What makes your father special? Give a two–minute speech
about your father before the class.

Activity III Writing

A. Work in groups and write an acrostic poem on ‘father’. An
acrostic poem is one, in which the first letter of each line
is spelt out in a word, phrase or sentence.

F – __________________________________________________________________
Fantastic in every way

A – __________________________________________________________________

T – __________________________________________________________________

H – __________________________________________________________________

E – __________________________________________________________________

R – __________________________________________________________________
20 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X
 B. Find out when is Mother’s Day celebrated and what would you like to
do for your mother to make the day special for her. Write a paragraph
on it.

Family Ties and Celebrations 21

 9 Peace and
Harmony
Gandhiji —
his relevance
Learning Outcomes today
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

talk about the qualities of a great leader.

express their views on a given topic.

Warm-up
A. What qualities do you think a great leader possesses?
Fill in the word web with words describing the qualities of a
great leader.

A great
leader

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage and answer the following questions.
1. On the basis of the passage on the tenets of the Gandhian philosophy,
put a tick (3) mark against the ones that have been mentioned and a
cross (7) against those that do not find a mention.
(a) Truth (b) Sacrifice (c) Courage (d) Non-violence
(e) Selfless service (f) Optimism (g) Cooperation
B. Listen to the passage again and mark the following statements as
True (T) or False (F).
1. One must be brave and not a coward.

2. Wars must be fought with the most modern weapons.

3. Gandhiji’s concepts and practices are known as ‘Gandhism’.

4. Non-violence does not offer solution to any kind of problem.

5. It is not enough to be a leader but to create leaders.

6. Non-violence and truth are the two sides of the same coin.

7. Means are not important. Only the ends are important.

Activity II Speaking
A. Your school is celebrating Gandhi Jayanti.
Speak on how Gandhiji’s principles stand by our
tradition of keeping the surroundings clean.

Peace and Harmony 23

 10 Co-curricular
Activities
Learning Outcomes I Like
to…
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

discuss and understand what people like to do.

listen and match the information.

deliver a speech on the importance of co-curricular activities.

Warm-up
A. Do you take part in different activities at school? Name the activities
shown in the pictures given below. Tell your group about your favourite
activity and why you enjoy it.

i ii

________________________ ________________________
iii iv

________________________ ________________________
 Activity I Listening
A. It is important to cultivate your talents and take part in co-curricular
activities, such as art and craft, music, dance and drama, quiz and
public speaking, etc. Listen to five students talk about their favourite
co-curricular activity. Now, match the activity to the person who
enjoys it. Two extra activities have been given in the pictures below.

Student Favourite activity

1. Ankita (a) I enjoy outdoor activities, and as the troop leader of Bharat
Scouts and Guides, I plan excursions and treks.

2. Sunil (b) I love to sing and I am the president of the school choir.

3. Salma (c) I enjoy acting and being on stage. So, I’ve taken up theatre
as my chosen activity.

4. Dolly (d) I have taken origami. I love making birds, lanterns and

flowers using square pieces of coloured papers.

5. Jason (e) I am a Yoga enthusiast and wish to become a Yoga instructor.

(f) I enjoy working on design and doing the layout of magazines.

(g) I enjoy learning about endangered species and the best ways
to save the planet.

Activity II Speaking
A. Deliver a short speech on the importance of co-curricular activities
in education.

Co-curricular Activities 25
 11 Places of Tourist
Attraction
Learning Outcomes Visit to a
historical
Learners will be able to:
site
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

talk about places of interest.

listen to the description of a bird sanctuary.

talk about a historical monument in their area.

Warm-up
A. Which places attract tourists?

Historical monuments
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

B. Which place stated above would you like to visit and why?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage about Keoladeo Ghana National Park, popularly
known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. As you listen to the passage,
complete the statements given below.

1. The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is known for being one of the best
_______________________. This reserve offers protection to
____________________________, __________________________, and
_____________________________________________________.

2. The species of birds that one can expect to see here include
______________________________, ______________________________ and
______________________________.
 3. Keoladeo is named after ______________________________ and Ghana
means ______________________________.

4. In 1760, an earthern dam was constructed to

__________________________.

5. ______________________________ created by
digging out soil became the Bharatpur Lake.

Activity II Speaking
A. Find out about a historical monument or an interesting tourist spot in
your area. Draw or paste its picture here and talk about it.

Places of Tourist Attraction 27

 12 Travel
At the
airport
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
talk to each other about their travel habits.

evaluate the given information and fill in the blanks.

express themselves clearly in complete sentences.

Warm-up
A. Look at the table given below. You have to move around the class and
find out the names of students having these travel habits. Write the
names of persons against each travel habit.

Find a person who… Name

1. takes a lot of photos on holidays.

2. carries a lot of luggage.

3. gets excited before a journey.

4. always forgets to pack something important.

5. likes to travel light.

6. usually, buys clothes before travelling.

7. prefers to travel by train.

8. is happy to return home after a holiday.

Activity I Listening
A. Juhi is at an airport. She hears some announcements. As you, too,
listen to the announcements, complete the table listing the arrival
and departure of planes.

Airline Arrival or departure From or to

Announcement 1

Announcement 2

Announcement 3

Announcement 4

Announcement 5

Activity II Speaking
A. On the plane, the air hostess asked Juhi if she needed assistance, or
something to eat or drink. Read the table given below and learn how
to offer, accept or refuse help.

Making an offer Accepting Refusing

Could I help you put Thanks! That would No, thank you!
your luggage in the be ______. It looks delicious
overhead luggage rack? though.
______ will be fine.
Would you like to Thanks, but I ______.
______? Yes, please.
I am fine, thanks.
How about ______? ______ would be
welcome.
What will you have
______?

Can I get you some

______?

Travel 29
 B. You are on a visit to Shimla with your family. Look at the photographs
given below and write a letter to your friend, describing the trip.
Remember to include an interesting incident

i ii

iii

30 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 13 Kindness towards
birds and animals
Learning Outcomes Setting
Learners will be able to: Popat free
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

appreciate the need to look after pets.

work in groups to create a story out of pictures.

Warm-up
A. List animals and birds that make pets.

1.
_______________________ 2.
_______________________

3.
_______________________ 4.
_______________________

5.
_______________________ 6.
_______________________

7.
_______________________ 8.
_______________________

B. Do you have a pet? If so, how do you take care of it?

1.
_____________________________________________________________________

2.
_____________________________________________________________________

3.
_____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

C. Why is it important to take care of your pet?

1.
_____________________________________________________________________

2.
_____________________________________________________________________

3.
_____________________________________________________________________
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the story of a neglected pet. As you listen, write whether
the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Doesn’t Say (DS).
Before you start listening, read the statements so that you know what
information you must listen for.
1. Tanya loved Popat because he could talk and whistle.

2. Popat liked to eat seeds and green chillies.

3. Tanya was a lazy girl, who did not want to look after Popat.

4. Popat complained about Tanya to her mother.

5. Popat wanted to fly in the sky like other birds.

6. Popat was too weak to fly out of the cage.

7. Mother gave Popat seeds to eat and water to drink.

8. Ria was sorry for being careless.

Activity II Speaking
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in groups of four and create a
story with the help of the pictures. Share the story with your classmates.

i ii

iii iv

32 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 14 Everyday Heroes
Recognising
Learning Outcomes bravery
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

appreciate bravery and presense of mind in children.

listen to the report and arrange the pictures in sequence.

discuss and analyse the given pictures and identify what

they see.
work in groups and narrate a story on the basis of
the given pictures.

Warm-up
A. The National Bravery Awards are given annually to children for
exemplary acts of bravery. What does the word ‘brave’ mean to you?
List words to complete the web chart.

Courageous

Brave

B. Work in pairs and complete the definition given below. Share your
views with the class.
A person who is brave is _______________________________________________.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a news broadcast about a young girl, who fought and
overpowered three motorcycle-borne purse snatchers. As you listen,
number the pictures given below in order. Study the pictures before
you listen to the recording.

Activity II Speaking
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in groups of four and create a
story on two brave boys, who saved many lives by preventing a train
accident. Share your story with the class.

i ii

iii iv

34 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 15 Adventure Sports
Conquering
Learning Outcomes the Everest
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
appreciate the challenges one encounters in mountain

climbing.
identify the main points or details in the given text.

discuss questions and their responses with friends.

Warm-up
A. Do you know what difficulties or challenges mountaineers face while
climbing mountains? Form small groups. Discuss the difficulties faced
by the mountaineers and how do they try to overcome them. Fill in
the table given below.

What difficulties do How can they try to reduce

mountaineers face? the effects?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage on ‘Conquering the Everest’ and answer the
following questions.

1. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top of

Mt. Everest on ________________________, after climbing for about
________________________ weeks.
 2. Mountain sickness is caused when the body
does not __________________________________.

3. Climbers suffer from ______________________,

______________ and ______________ as they scale higher.

4. To prevent mountain sickness, the climbers

_____________________________________.

5. Hillary and Norgay stayed on the summit for only

15 minutes because of _____________________________
_________________________________________________.

B. Write Fact (F) or Opinion (O) against the following statements.

1. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had been dreaming of
climbing Mt. Everest for decades.

2. Most of the climbers slip into deep cracks in mountains.

3. Hillary and Norgay also suffered from mountain sickness.

4. Altitude causes mountain sickness.

5. Gradual climbing reduces mountain sickness.

6. Plantation is sparse on high altitudes.

7. Hillary and Norgay set up camps for other climbers.

8. Fatigue forced Hillary and Norgay to climb down the

mountain quickly.

Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the following questions with your friend.
1. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘mountain’?
2. Do you like mountains or beaches?
3. Have you ever been to a mountain?
4. Do you like holidays in mountains?
5. Are there any mountains in your State?
6. How are mountains important?
7. Would you like to climb a mountain some day?
8. Which mountain would you like to climb?
9. If you could name a mountain, which one would you think of and why?
(You may discuss with your geography teacher)

36 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 16 World History
Stamps from
Learning Outcomes around the
world
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

have a discussion about stamps.

listen to the passage and answer questions based on it.

research about stamps and present information in class.

Warm-up
A. Discuss the following questions in class.
1. What is a stamp?
2. What are the informative parts of a stamp?

3. How and when did stamps come into use?

4. Why are there pictures on postage stamps?

5. What is philately?

Activity I Listening
A. Now, listen to the passage on stamps and answer the following
questions.
1. To a person, who is not interested in stamps, collecting them seems
like a waste of
(a)
________________ (b)
________________ (c)
________________
2. Stamp collection is cheap because one requires only
(a)
________________ (b)
________________ (c) ________________
 3. Stamp collection has no limit because ________________.
[Tick (3) against the correct choice.]
(a) stamps are cheap

(b) it is a good time pass

(c) people always gift stamps

(d) new stamps are always being printed

4. Stamps transport us to various places means that ________________.

[Tick (3) against the correct choice.]
(a) we learn a lot about the history and geography of the world
(b) we can spend time productively by sticking stamps
(c) the pictures printed on them cannot be found elsewhere
(d) the time is spent swiftly and joyfully

B. Match the Columns

A B

1. Stamp collection (a) minimum

2. Resources required (b) numerous occasions
3. Printing of stamps (c) abundant
4. Information on stamps (d) productive hobby

Activity II Speaking
A. Find an interesting stamp. It
could be from any country. Study
the stamp and write down the
information given on it. Which year
was it printed? Which picture does
it carry? What is the significance
of the picture? Bring the stamp to
class, show it to your classmates
and talk about it.

38 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 17 Leadership
George
Learning Outcomes Washington ——
the
born leader
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and

detail in the given text.

understand and articulate feelings and ideas about

the main idea.

listen to the passage and answer questions based on it.

express views on a given topic.

Warm-up
A. Form groups and discuss the qualities of a leader. Fill in the columns
given below.

What qualities do you think How would these qualities

make a leader? help a person?
Courage Encourages one to stand for the
right cause

Activity I Listening
A. Listen about an incident in the life of a great leader
in the passage and answer the following questions in a
sentence each.
1. What did George Washington get as a gift when he was
six years old?
 2. How do you know he liked his present?
3. Why was it difficult for George to answer his father’s question?
4. What was the father’s reaction to George’s answer?
5. What quality of a great leader did young Washington show in
this incident?

Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the sentences given below and write Fact (F) or Opinion (O)
against each of them.
1. George Washington wanted a hatchet.

2. George cut everything that came his way because he was

a naughty boy.

3. George accidentally chopped off the cherry tree.

4. Father was angry because George was lying.

5. Father was happy because George was a bold boy.

40 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 18 Sports
Paralympics
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
evaluate the given information and relate it to the

correct options.
match the given information correctly.

discuss statements based on the given topic.

appreciate the skills and talents of the differently abled.

Warm-up
A. Look at this picture of Paralympic Games and discuss the questions
given below.
1. How are these games different from
the Olympics?
2. What do you think ‘Paralympic’ means?
3. What hurdles do you think Paralympic
players have to overcome to play a sport?

Activity I Listening

A. Listen to the passage and complete these statements with the
correct option.
1. The Paralympics are the Olympic Games for _______________.
(a) the old (b) war heroes
(c) those injured in a war (d) the physically disabled

2. The Paralympic Games are held every four years _______________.

(a) in the United Kingdom, where it started
(b) in Rome, where the Olympics started
(c) whichever place is voted
(d) None of the above
 3. The word ‘paralympic’ means _______________.
(a) for disabled (b) for injured
(c) for war heroes (d) with Olympics

4. Sir Ludwig Guttmann decided to start these games to _______________.

(a) help injured soldiers
(b) gather funds for injured soldiers
(c) add another dimension to the Olympics
(d) improve the mental and physical health of
soldiers injured in World War–II

5. The major difference in Paralympic Games then and now is that

_______________.
(a) people with various disabilities participate now
(b) people now participate with sportsman spirit
(c) only wheelchair-bound people participate now
(d) the games have become official now

B. Match the columns

A B
1. Deepa Malik (a) Short put
Ludwig Guttmann
2. Varun Singh Bhati (b) High jump
3. Mariyappan Thangavelu (c) High jump
4. Devendra Jhajharia (d) Javelin throw

Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the statements given below and write Fact (F) or Opinion (O)
against them.
1. Paralympic athletes cannot compete in the regular
Olympic Games.

2. Paralympic athletes get discouraged easily.

3. Sir Ludwig Guttmann introduced the Paralympic Games as

he was himself disabled.

4. Athletes with any kind of disability can compete in the

Paralympic Games.

5. Not many people would be interested in watching the Paralympic Games.

42 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 19 Heroes
Our leaders
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

appreciate acts of heroism.

appreciate individuality and choices.

evaluate the given information and relate it to the

correct options.
express their views and participate in a discussion.

Warm-up
A. Name these leaders and answer the following questions.

i ii iii

1. Can you identify the leaders in the above pictures? Name them.
2. What qualities do these three leaders have in common?

Activity I Listening
A. Now, listen to the passage on Rosa Parks. Listen carefully and put
a tick (3) mark against the correct option.
1. Rosa Parks was a remarkable person because ______________________.
(a) she stood up against racism (b) she stood for gender equality
(c) she fought against class inequality (d) she fought for equal opportunities
 2. Rosa Parks hated the ways of her life because ______________________.
(a) she wanted freedom (b) she was courageous
(c) she wanted equality (d) she was strong

3. Rosa Parks was arrested for ______________________.

(a) challenging discrimination (b) challenging the driver
(c) challenging a white (d) challenging the blacks

4. In jail, Rosa faced discrimination when ______________________.

(a) she was put in a separate cellar
(b) she was not allowed to have water from the fountain
(c) Only (a)
(d) both (a) and (b)

5. The rules for riding buses were changed when ___________________.

(a) black people boycotted buses
(b) black people were not allowed to ride in buses
(c) Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested
(d) Rosa stopped going by bus

B. Read the statements given below and say if they are True (T) or False (F).

1. Rosa Parks was unlike most people of her times.

2. The incidents in Rosa’s life transformed her into a bold woman.

3. The black people were segregated in public transport.

4. Rosa suffered discrimination in jail.

5. The black people boycotted travelling in buses.

6. The qualities that Rosa possessed were grit and determination.

Activity II Speaking
A. Share your views on this famous quote by Audre Lorde.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise,
accept and celebrate those differences.”

44 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 20 Science and
Technology
Learning Outcomes Space
travel
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

talk about space travel.

listen to the passage and answer the questions based on it.

discuss and design a travel brochure in pairs.

Warm-up
A. If you could travel to space, which planet would you like to visit? Why?

B. What preparations will you make for the travel? List five things that
you will take along.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to this announcement about a space trip and write True (T),
False (F) or Doesn’t Say (DS) for the statements given below.
1. The passengers need to board, at least, two hours prior
to departure.

2. Passports are not required.

3. Passengers must get an identification proof.

4. Dogs will not be allowed on board unless they are on leash.

5. The people on mission would evoke love and respect for the world.

6. The passengers will visit Saturn in the end.

7. There will be few stoppages to save time.

8. This will by far be the quickest tour.

B. Complete the table with information from the text.

Date of departure

A safety precaution on the comet

Planets to be visited

Measures to preserve the

interest of tourists

Date of arrival in New York

Activity II Speaking and Writing

You work for Super Space Travel Enterprises, a company that plans vacations
and sightseeing trips throughout the Solar System. You are their publicity
manager and have to create a brochure to attract clients. With the help of your
friend, design the brochure. It should describe details of your destination in a
visually appealing and organised fashion. Remember that your brochure must
make a traveller want to visit your destination. Use images whenever possible.
Also, make a presentation.

46 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 A brochure is an unbound booklet. It may consist of a single sheet of
paper that is printed on both the sides and folded into half, thirds or
fourths (called a leaflet), or may consist of few pages that are folded
into half and stapled at the crease to make a booklet.

Remember
to be brief but clear to use relevant pictures
to use attractive fonts to make your brochure look appealing

Science and Technology 47

 21 Values

Learning Outcomes Shop for

a cause!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

appreciate the importance of charity and compassion.

apply information and values to life.

express themselves clearly in complete sentences.

Warm-up
A. Jai has put up some of his household items on
sale (see picture). He wants to collect money to
help others.
1. What would you buy from him?
2. How much would you pay for each article?
3. How do you think it would be helpful to others?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to four speakers talk about buying some auctioned items.
Listen to the announcements and fill in the following details.

i ii

Price :
_______________ Price :
_______________

Bought by : _______________ Bought by : _______________

Cause :
_______________ Cause :
_______________
 iii iv

Price :
_______________ Price :
_______________

Bought by : _______________ Bought by : _______________

Cause :
_______________ Cause :
_______________

B. Listen to the four speakers again and complete the sentences

given below.
1. This passage talks about a __________________ at __________________.

2. The funds collected would be diverted towards __________________.

3. The funds would help

(a)
_____________________ (b)
_____________________

(c)
_____________________

Activity II Speaking
A. Divide the class into groups, each having five to six students. Share
with your classmates a thing or an act that you have done, which
made you happy. Also share:
how you felt after doing that thing or act.
how the person or animal or bird, who received your
kindness behaved.

You may also talk about:

giving a compliment to someone.
helping someone before being asked.
giving away your toy to someone, who cannot afford one.
giving away the books that you have already read.
helping your mother do a chore at home.

Values 49
 22 Friends
Friends:
Learning Outcomes near and far
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

talk about friends.

listen to information about people and complete a table.

write an email to a pen pal.

Warm-up
A. Discuss the questions given below in class.
1. Would you like to be friends with people from other
countries? Why?
2. Would you like to make friends from a specific country? Why?
3. What are the qualities that you look for in a friend?
4. What can your friends expect from you?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the talk on ‘pen pals’ and fill in the table given below.

Name Samson _________ _________ _________ _________

Age _________ Fourteen _________ _________ _________

Nationality _________ _________ Russian _________ _________

Home city _________ _________ _________ Izmir _________

Hobbies _________ _________ _________ _________ Singing

 B. Listen to the talk again and name the children who are:
1. ambitious: ________________ 2. happy-go-lucky: ____________
3. environment conscious: ___________ 4. confident on stage: __________

Activity II Speaking and Writing

A. Talk to your friend about the questions given below.
1. Who is your best friend?
2. Why do you think of the person as your best friend?
3. How did you meet your friend?
4. How long have you been friends?
5. Do you think social media is a good way to meet people
and make friends? Why?

B. Imagine that your friend is your pen pal from another country.
How will you introduce yourself?
Draft a rough e-mail like the one given below and introduce yourself to your
friend. Include your name, age, place of residence, nationality, what you
are doing currently, your likes and hobbies, ambitions and your contact
address in the e-mail.
Do not forget to format the introduction.
Create interesting details about yourself.

Example
Hi, I’m Alexandra. I am 13 years old and live in Hungary. I love sports,
especially, football. I am fond of art and enjoy drawing. I’m also an
animal and music lover. I love travelling too and would like to learn
more about countries, cultures, etc. I love watching movies and TV
serials. I can speak some Japanese. I’d like to have friends from across
the world, who are around my age. I would also like to do snail mail but
we can do e-mail, if that is easier. :)

Friends 51
 23 Environment
Save a tree,
Learning Outcomes save the Eart
h
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
appreciate the importance of conserving forests and trees.

Warm-up
A. Look at the following two contrasting pictures.

i ii

1. Describe these two pictures.

2. In which of the above pictures would you like to be and why?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a student’s essay on the importance of saving trees and find
answers to the following questions. Before you listen to the essay, read
the questions and find out what information you should be listening
for. Put a tick (3) mark against the correct option.

1. In the statement, “It is like a glass of cold water on a hot day”, the
student is referring to the ___________________________ of trees.
(a) colour (b) feel (c) smell (d) nursery
 2. While painting pictures of trees, the student ______________________.
(a) uses different colours of paint
(b) goes to the mountains to be surrounded by trees
(c) climbs her grandfather’s tree to concentrate on work
(d) uses different shades of green and brown

3. The one thing the student does not mention about climbing her
grandfather’s tree is that ___________________________.
(a) she likes to think and relax in the tree
(b) she enjoys eating apples
(c) she likes to play games in the branches
(d) she lets her imagination fly

4. According to the student, trees make life possible by _____________.

(a) producing oxygen so that we can breathe
(b) providing food and shelter for countless animal species
(c) serving as an important energy source
(d) keeping a check on global warming

5. The beauty of trees makes the student ___________________________.

(a) take greater interest in protecting the environment
(b) want to study plants in future
(c) want to become a better person
(d) bring peace to the planet

6. Which of these areas does the essay talk about? Put a tick (3)
mark against the correct choices.
(a) Beauty of tress (b) History of plantation
(c) Benefits of trees (d) Ageing process of trees
(e) Soothing qualities of trees (f) Kind of trees
(g) Process of planting

Environment 53
 Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the problem given below in small groups and present solutions
before the class.
There is a huge banyan tree outside your house. Your house is cooler
because of the shade the tree provides. Needless to say, some birds have
made their nests in it. The adults, living in your colony, have decided to
cut it down to make more parking space. What can you do about it?
You could discuss:
What problems could arise due to reckless cutting of trees?
What can children do to control increasing threats to the

environment?

B. Brainstorm in groups and reach a consensus on how would you prevent

felling of trees. Each group needs to choose one person to express the
group’s ideas. The teacher and members of the other groups can ask
questions based on the presentation made by one group.

54 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X 54

 24 Art and Culture
Fun in
Learning Outcomes Spain
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

appreciate the culture of our own and other countries.

understand the richness and diversity of festivals.

draw inferences on the basis of the information provided in

the text.
explore about one festival in detail.

Warm-up
A. Which festivals do you celebrate?
B. Which of the festivals given below do you like and why?
Which States in India celebrate these festivals?
1. Chhath Puja : _______________________________
2. Onam : _______________________________
3. Durga Puja : _______________________________
4. Bihu : _______________________________
5. Ganesh Chaturthi : _______________________________
6. Kumbh Mela : _______________________________
7. Eid : _______________________________
8. Diwali : _______________________________

Activity I Listening
A. State whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

1. It can be inferred that Spain is a land of festivals.

2. There are no rules for hurling tomatoes during Tomatina.

3. Anyone cannot be a part of the human castle.

4. Flamenco is a song that is played in the city of Cardoba.

 5. People participate in Feria de Abril to stay in human castles.

6. Cardoba Patios festival is known for the display of flowers.

7. Andre’s recommendation on all four festivals is based on

personal experience.

8. Spanish people are fun-loving and enjoy their unique festivals.

B. Match the festivals with the correct pictures.

1. La Tomatina (a)

2. Tarragona (b)

3. Cardoba Patios (c)

4. Feria de Abril (d)

56 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Activity II Speaking
A. Read about four festivals that are celebrated in our country and answer
the following questions.
1. Which festival would you like to see?
2. Which festival sounds exciting to you and why?
3. What do you find exciting about it?

Kerala’s boat race

It is one of the events held during Onam in Kerala. Onam is
the harvest festival celebrated during the autumn season.
Boat race is a form of canoe racing. Traditional boats of Kerala,
such as paddled longboats and snake boats, are used in this race.

Bihu, Assam
It is a festival that is celebrated by the people of Assam, irrespective
of caste, creed and beliefs. In a year, Assamese celebrate three
kinds of Bihu, of which Bohag Bihu is celebrated in April, which
marks the Assamese New Year and spring festival.

Vasant Panchami
It is the spring festival celebrated in the north, central and
western parts of India. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the
Indian traditional calendar month of Magha. People wear yellow
clothes and eat yellow rice to emulate the yellow mustard
(sarson) flower fields. Children fly kites to mark the advent of
spring season.

Gandhi Jayanti
It is a national festival
celebrated in India to mark
the birthday of Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi,
who is also known as the
‘Father of the Nation’. The
Clean India Mission scheme
was launched in 2014
on this day as Gandhiji
demonstrated, propagated
and insisted for individual
and community cleanliness
throughout his life.

Art and Culture 57

 25 Farm Animals
Animal
Learning Outcomes care

Learners will be able to:

listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

understand the theme and main idea of a cloze passage.

fill in the missing information.

develop sensitivity towards animals.

work as a team to develop a news story.

Warm-up
A. Discuss the questions given below.
1. Why do farm owners keep animals?
2. What do you think a farmer needs to do to
take care of animals?
3. If you were to adopt one farm animal,
which one would it be and why?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the text on E. B. White, author of famous children’s book
Charlotte’s Web, and complete the following passage.

E. B. White was born in New York in 1899. He graduated from Cornell

University in 1921. He tried different sort of jobs _______________ five to
six years but it is _______________ he joined the New Yorker Magazine that
he felt truly happy. He wrote many sketches, poems, essays and editorials
while working _______________ the magazine.

Few years later, he moved to the countryside. He kept animals on his

farm. He spent a lot of time _______________ the farm but continued
writing. Some _______________ these creatures crept into his stories and
books _______________ children, especially, because he was familiar
_______________ the feel of a farmyard and interaction ________________
 animals. He received many awards and medals for his contribution to
children’s literature. He wrote Charlotte’s Web _______________ a way of
exploring the enduring puzzle of farming that taking care _______________
sick animals is important. Although Charlotte’s Web was written more
than 60 years ago, its message of hope and regeneration remains
pertinent even today.

Activity II Speaking and Writing

A. Imagine that you are a farm animal and need a farm owner. Design
your own ‘wanted’ advertisement for a farm owner. Use the tips as
given below.
What qualities should the suitable farm owner have?
Examples: loving, gentle…
How would you describe yourself as a farm animal?
Examples: friendly, young…
What are your expectations as a farm animal?
Examples: get food on time, be treated kindly…

B. A farmer has just reported to the police that a horse has escaped from
his farm. Read the fact sheet with information about the horse. Divide
the class into groups and organise the information in the form of a
news story that can be read out on radio. Each group can have its
leader read out the story on radio. The story must be two–minute long.

Animal: Farm horse

Description: Male, jet black, large, well-groomed, handsome
Time of escape: 23 March 2017, 9 a.m. (Sunday)
Manner of escape: Broke through the fence and galloped away
Reward: `1,000
Contact No.: 011–43267389

Read a sample news excerpt.

An animal rights group rescued five starving horses from a breeding farm
last week. Of the five horses, one has already died and four are doing poorly.
These horses will need constant care for months if they are to survive. The
farm owner is untraceable. Four staff members, who were at the farm, said
they had not been paid for a year. They said most of the other workers had
left and the farm was used for breeding race horses, adding that most of the
animals were thoroughbreds.

Farm Animals 59
 Last week, the group had sent a 16–member rescue team, including two
vets, after receiving the information. The animals were emaciated, and
many could not even stand due to weakness and dehydration. All rescued
animals were suffering from dehydration. They had to be rehydrated, and
after 24 hours only, they could be loaded onto two vehicles to be taken to
a hospital.

60 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 26 Food
Let’s go
shopping!
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

share their preferences of food for breakfast.

do a role-play between a shopkeeper and customer.

appreciate the value of money and decide how to spend it.

Warm-up
A. Write the names of breakfast items, in the space given below, that
you would like to buy.
When I go to the market, I like to buy _______________ for breakfast.
Sometimes, I buy _______________________ as it is good for health.
My favourite breakfast is _______________________ because it is
_______________________.
Last Sunday, I went to a grocery shop and bought ____________________.

B. Look at the pictures given below. They show four different items that
you may want on your breakfast table. Work in pairs and take turns to
tell each other what these items may be, and what else you would want
to see on your breakfast table.

i ii iii iv
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the incident about a funny man, who went shopping.
Now, mark if the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

1. Madhur’s shop sold tables.

2. Jai told the funny man that they did not sell food at their shop.

3. The man showed a picture of a small red table.

4. The man asked Jai for a table.

5. The funny man asked Madhur for a loaf of brown bread.

6. Madhur was angry with Jai.

B. Listen to the incident again and write words from the listening text
that rhyme with the words given below.

1. hop: __________________ 2. ban: __________________

3. sunny: __________________ 4. frown: __________________

5. cable: __________________ 6. tread: __________________

7. buckle: __________________ 8. pink: __________________

Activity II Speaking
A. Look at the diagram given below. In groups of four to five, decide what
would you order for dinner at a restaurant if `500 was given to you.

Starters

Main course `500 Beverages

Dessert

62 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 B. Listen to the conversation between the shopkeeper and customer.
Then, practise the dialogues with your friend. You may take turns to
play both the roles. You may use these phrases.

May I have a…? Please check… Sorry to hear that…

I apologise. That’s alright. Thank you!

C. Look at the picture given below. Discuss with your friend and make a
list of items that you will buy. Give reasons for your choices.

Food 63
 27 Imagination and
Fantasy
Learning Outcomes A dream
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

give their views on an incident and a picture.

listen for specific information and answer questions.

share information about things they love and fear.

Warm-up
A. Read this short incident and respond.
Two men were walking side-by-side. One asked the other, “Do you believe
in ghosts?” The other said, “No”, and disappeared.

B. Look at the picture given below. Discuss with your friend and answer
the following questions.
1. How many people do you see in this picture?
2. Which of these two men is the ghost?
3. What does the ghost look like?
4. What is the friend’s reaction?

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage. Answer the following questions orally.
1. Where did Vetal live?
2. What was Vetal fond of?
3. Why did Vetal wish people to live in the house where he lived?
4. Why had Vetal never eaten an ice cream?
5. What happened on the day Vetal died?
6. What did Vetal eat after death?
 B. Listen to the passage again and put the sentences given below in order.

1. Vetal, the ghost, was reborn.

2. Vetal lived with other ghosts, who were not fond of eating.

3. The owners shut Kwalikhi factory because they heard

mysterious noises.

4. As a child, Vetal fell ill whenever he ate an ice cream.

5. On Vetal’s funeral, people saw what they had never seen before.

6. A ghostly cloud rose up and covered the funeral canopy.

Activity II Speaking
A. Look at the table given below. Fill in the first column with the names
of things that scare you and the second with those you love. Compare
your work with that of your friend’s and discuss.

Things you fear Things you love

_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

B. Have a conversation with your friend about things you love and fear.
Follow the outline of the conversation given below.

Student 1: I am afraid of ______________ but love ______________.

What about you?

Student 2: I am afraid of ______________ but love ______________.

Why are you afraid of ______________?

Student 1: I am afraid of ______________ because of ______________.

Why do you love ______________?

Student 2: I love ______________ because of ______________.

Imagination and Fantasy 65

 28 Friend from
space
Learning Outcomes My best
friend
Learners will be able to:
Toby
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

listen and draw a picture.

use appropriate language and gestures when dramatising

or doing role-play.
write an informal letter.

Warm-up
A. Listen to the text about Toby. Draw a picture of Toby on the basis
of what you hear. Compare your drawing with that of your friend’s.
Do you notice similarities? Are there differences in your drawings?
What are they?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the conversation between Anil and Toby. Toby is a Martian
and is stranded on Earth. He has become Anil’s friend. As you listen,
put a tick (3) mark against the correct statements and a cross (7)
against the wrong ones.
1. Toby misses his school.
2. Toby does not eat chocolates.
3. Anil is scared of Toby.
4. Toby tells Anil that he had a banana for breakfast.
5. Anil asks him about his planet.

B. Listen to the conversation again and fill in the missing words in the
dialogues given below.

1. Toby: I miss my _________________ and home.

2. Toby: Well, we _________________ don’t need to eat anything. We get

our _________________ from the Sun.

3. Anil: Oh! Don’t you ever feel like having ice creams and
_________________!

4. Anil: Okay, tell me one thing. How are you able to see only with
_________________ eye?

5. Toby: I can see beyond mountains and _________________, woods and

even ____________.

Activity II Speaking
A. Form groups and enact the following situation. Prepare dialogues
and use props, if needed.
Toby visits your school. It is recess time. You are having lunch with
friends when Toby enters. Now, enact a scene, wherein, you introduce
Toby to your friends.

B. Toby has left for his planet. Write a letter to Toby, telling him about
things and people here on Earth. Also, ask about his and his people’s
well-being. Here is a format of the letter that you may use.

Friend from Space 67

 (Your address)
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

Date _____________________

Dear Toby,
I am writing this letter to tell you… We had a great time with
you when you were here and everyone is… I wish you could have
stayed with us for some more time.
I would have shown you how beautiful our planet is. On Earth
we have…
People live in…and eat…
We sleep when the Sun…and wake up in…
There are birds…and many other living organisms.
We celebrate…and love…
I hope we meet again soon.
Give my…to your family.

Yours lovingly

______________________

Toby
Mars
Our Universe

68 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 29 Telephonic
Conversation
Learning Outcomes Let’s t
alk

Learners will be able to:

listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

complete telephonic conversations.

enact a telephonic conversation with their friends.

Warm-up
A. Leave your message after the beep.
You could not go to school today as you were unwell. When you call up your
friend, her phone number is not reachable. You leave a message on her
phone. What will you say in the message?

B. Here is one side of a telephone conversation. Read it and guess what

Ishrat might have told Madhu. Do this task with your friend’s help.
Madhu: Hello! Is that Ishrat?
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Hi dear! Yes, it’s been a long time.
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: I am in Delhi. You?
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Wow! That’s a lovely place. The Charminar is very much a
centre of attraction.
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Oh, yes! That food outlet was amazing. How we ate!
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Really! I am waiting! When are you reaching?
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Great. It’s a Sunday. I’ll pick you up from the airport.
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Sure! See you soon, Ishrat.
Ishrat: ...
Madhu: Bye!
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the telephonic conversation between two persons. As you
listen, try and guess the following things about the speaker. After you
finish listening, discuss your response with the rest of the class.
1. Is Mohan a telephone operator?
2. Is he a mechanic?
3. Is he a call centre employee?
4. What do you think his academic qualifications may be?

B. You have heard the conversation. What do you think it is about?

1. This conversation is about ___________________________________.
(a) a faulty phone that needs repairing
(b) poor services offered by a phone company
(c) lack of understanding between a client and the phone company
(d) help offered by the help desk at the phone company
(e) attendance issues at the phone company
2. Who wants to talk to whom in the conversation?
3. What is the problem?
4. When does the client need to reach the company office?

Activity II Speaking
A. Here is the text of a conversation between two persons. Some part
of their conversation has been omitted. Work with your friend and
complete the conversation. Then, enact the conversation in front of
your class.
Hema : Hello! This is Hema. Can I speak to Anandi?
Manu : Sure! Please be on line.
Anandi : Hello!
Hema : Hello, Anandi, I’m Hema. Is this a good time to talk?
Anandi : ...
Hema : ...
Anandi : Yes. Should I pick you up?
Hema : ...
Anandi : Be ready by 9 o’clock. It would be convenient
if you could come to the bus stop and wait there.
Hema : Okay.
Anandi : Alright!

70 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 30 Indigenous
Sports
Playi
ng
Learning Outcomes Kabad
di
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

write about their personal experiences.

follow a conversation and extract specific information from it.

form and ask questions.

participate in a quiz.

Warm-up
A. This is a pair work. Share your personal experiences with each other.
Use the following pointers to talk about memorable experiences.

What

How
When

Who
Where

B. Now, make a list of things that you like and dislike.

Things I like Things I dislike

 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the conversation between two students, where one student
is narrating an interesting incident. Think of the questions you will
ask the student. Make a list of the questions and share them with
the class.

Activity II Speaking
A. Now, discuss the following questions.
1. What are adventure sports?
2. Can you name few adventure sports?
3. If you were given a chance to try one adventure sport, which one
would you choose and why?
4. Why do you think people take up adventure sports despite them
being dangerous?
5. Do you know few people associated with certain adventure sports?
Name them.

B. Divide the class into groups. Organise a quiz related to adventure

sports. Guess the name of the adventure sport based on the cue(s)
your teacher provides. The group that answers the maximum number
of questions correctly will be the winner.

car racing river rafting sky diving trekking

paragliding parasailing kayaking

1. This is a form of circuit auto racing that has two seats and
enclosed wheels. The aim of this sporting activity is to set the
fastest time in a set number of laps or time limit.
2. This is a recreational outdoor activity, which uses an inflatable
raft to navigate on a river or water body.
3. This sport is also called ‘parachuting’, in which athletes jump
off a flying airplane at a certain altitude and perform acrobatic
movements in free fall.
4. This sport involves descent off a vertical cliff or wall made
by using a doubled rope that is fixed to a higher point and
wrapped around the body.

72 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 5. This recreational adventure sport is the simplest form of human flight
and the fastest growing type of foot-launched flying.
6. This sport is a recreational kayaking activity, where a person is towed
behind a vehicle (usually, a boat) while being attached to a especially
designed canopy wing that is a parachute.
7. This is a recreational adventure sport, in which people paddle small,
specialised boats.
C. Form pairs and write down the names of sports that begin with the
letters — A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, P, R, S, T, V and W. The
pair that comes up with the maximum number of sports will be
the winner.

Indigenous Sports 73
 31 Picture reading
Listen to
Learning Outcomes a story
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
spot differences in the given pictures.

listen for global understanding.

play a vocabulary guessing game.

Warm-up
A. Spot, at least, five differences in the pictures given below and share
them with your friend.
i ii

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the story of ‘The Three Billy Goat Gruff’. Now, depict the
story by drawing it in four pictures, keeping in mind the ‘beginning’,
‘middle’ and ‘end’.
 Activity II Speaking
A. Now, play a game with your classmates. You will be given a card with
a word or phrase. You have to explain it in your own words without
using the word or phrase as given in the card. Your goal is to have the
other classmates guess the word or phrase.
You may define the word(s) in any way you wish to. For example, you may
use synonyms or antonyms, comparisons or contrasts, examples, or all
of these. But you cannot use any of the word(s) on the card or any of
its derivatives. For example, if the phrase is ‘birthday party’, you will be
required to explain the phrase not directly but by giving hints and cues so
that the other students are able to guess it. For example, you can say: “It
is a special day for you. It is a day of celebration. You receive gifts on this
day. Which day is it?” Each student will be given one minute to speak.

Picture Reading 75
 32 Water
Water woes
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

speak about the need of water in our communities.

discuss policies being framed to make water available to all.

listen to the information as given in the passage and

talk about it.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below and discuss what they suggest.

i ii

B. Work in pairs and discuss your responses to the following questions.

1. Have you ever faced water crisis situation at home?
2. According to you, which of your daily activities are affected directly
or indirectly due to lack of water?
3. Share an instance with your friend when you or someone you know
had to miss out on something important due to no water supply
at home?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the text and fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
A villager in India, sometimes, takes upto ____________________ trips
a day transporting water from a water source to one’s home. These
walks in rural areas can on an average be ____________________ miles a
day, wherein, a person carries upto ___________________ litres of water
per trip. As a result, they are unable to make an ____________________
and take appropriate care of their __________________. Besides, their
___________________ are unable to get ___________________education.

B. Listen to the extract again. Work in pairs and respond to

the following questions.

1. How do you feel about lack of water supply in houses in

rural areas?

2. What does this report reveal about the condition of people

in rural India? Give examples to support your response.

3. List two measures that you would suggest to the

government in order to solve the problem of the villagers?

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of four and make a three–minute presentation on
the measures that need to be taken to improve the lives of people
in rural areas as regards to ensuring adequate water supply. Share
it with the class. Allow time for feedback and discussion.

B. Have a discussion in class on the picture given below.

Source: http://www.indiawaterweek.in/images/
collage-waterdrop.png

Water 77
 33 Water – our life
Water
management
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

practise storytelling skills.

develop skills to listen for specific information.

discuss and debate on a given topic.

Warm-up
A. Look at the picture given below. Work in pairs to make a story
around it.

B. Work in pairs and discuss your responses to the following questions.

1. According to you, how does our personal water needs tie in with
the community?
2. What are the things that people must keep in mind while using water?
3. In what ways are humans responsible for their water usage towards
flora and fauna in our ecosystem?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the report read by your teacher on water crisis.
Fill in the blanks with the correct information.

1. Groundwater supplies to ___________ per cent of India’s

irrigation needs and 80 per cent of ___________ needs.

2. The report predicts that India will become ___________

scarce in few years.

3. India will see an ___________ of $13 billion in the next

few years.

4. The recycling of ___________ will be a booming industry in

coming years.

5. Name any three countries that are keen to invest in the

domestic water sector.
(a) ____________________ (b) ____________________
(c) ____________________
B. Listen to the report again. Work in pairs and
answer the following questions.
1. According to the report, what are the reasons for
increase in water consumption in India?
2. In what manner will other countries be able to
help India in solving the impending water crisis?
3. According to you, what are the three steps that
our city needs to take to avoid water shortage?
Give reasons for each of the steps that you
suggest.

Activity II Speaking
A. Debate: In groups of four, prepare any two arguments both for and
against the following motion.
‘India should take help from other countries to tackle water crisis’.

Water – Our Life 79

 34 Conservation
of water
Save water
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

express their ideas regarding conservation of water.

participate in discussions and come up with measures

to save water at school.

Warm-up
A. Work in pairs to solve the crossword puzzle given below.
1.
ACROSS B
3. games
5. room
6. car

2.
DOWN W
1. water 3. 4.
P R
2. television
4. books
5.
C
6.
W

B. Discuss the following questions with your friend.

1. Do you do any of the above activities?
2. How many litres of water do you approximately use in a day?
3. Have you tried to conserve water in your everyday routine?
4. What are the measures that your school has taken to check the
wastage of water?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the following measures taken by a school to save and use water
efficiently on its premises. As you listen, match the sentences in
Column A with those in Column B.

A B

1. In Pune, thousands of children (a) the leftover water from their

have learnt to water bottles in the school
water tank.

2. The water collected in the (b) save and recycle water.

water tank

3. Students store (c) is used for watering the plants

and lawns, and cleaning the
school premises.

B. Listen to the report again. Work in pairs and discuss the

following questions.
1. What is the tone of the report? Which words suggest
this tone?
2. What positive qualities does the report indicate with
respect to the students? How?
3. Compare the measures taken by the school in Pune to
conserve water with those adopted by your school. How
are these measures different from the ones taken at your
school? To what extent are they similar? Why do you
think it is so?

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of four and make a three–minute oral presentation on
the measures your class needs to take to save the different sources
of energy used by the school. How and why should these steps be
taken? Share your presentation with the entire class. Allow feedback
and discussion.

Conservation of Water 81
 35
___________

Education
Classroom
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

listen and respond to or provide the desired information.

enhance skills of expression regarding one’s own opinion

on issues of classroom etiquette to enable learning.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and answer the
following questions.

i ii iii

1. How often do you struggle with learning in a classroom and in what ways?
2. What, according to you, are some of the challenges that one commonly
faces while learning in the classroom? Discuss reasons for the same.
3. Make a list of suggestions for etiquettes that must be followed by students
and teachers in a class in order to make it more learner-friendly, especially,
for those who struggle with learning.
4. Share your suggestions with the class. Make a note on any two suggestions
shared by the other groups that you would like to implement in your class.
5. Make a presentation, describing how would you implement the suggestions
you liked in your classroom. Give reasons for the same. Share it with
the class.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a set of questions and mark your responses (on a scale of 1 to 5
— 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest level of difficulty; refer to
Appendix) to the various challenges one faces while learning.

B. Work in groups of five and make a note of the responses shared

by your group members. Based on your responses, discuss the
following questions.
1. What are the three aspects of learning that your group finds the most
challenging? Why?
2. What is the easiest aspect of learning for your group? Why?
3. Write a report in 300 words on the basis of your group’s response to
the questionnaire. You may listen to the questions again.
4. Draw a conclusion based on the observations that you have made on
the basis of the responses shared by your group members.

Activity II Speaking
A. Each group will read out its report in class. The students will,
then, discuss and select one report as regards to the measures and
etiquettes that need to be introduced in the classroom to tackle
learning obstacles among children, and make a presentation on the
same. The presentation needs to justify why these measures are
important. It must not be more than two–minutes long.

Education 83
 36 Outdoor games
our
Learning Outcomes playground
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

develop listening skills in the context of sports.

develop speaking skills in the context of sports.

Warm-up
A. Work with your friend and complete the
crossword given below. The puzzle is based on
the number of players required in a team for
various games. One in done for you.
1.
F
ACROSS
3. five O
5. nine
O
6. eleven
2.
T

B
3. 4.
A

L
5.
L

DOWN
1. eleven to eighteen 6.
2. eleven to sixteen
4. seven
 B. Work in pairs and unscramble the names of some of the indoor games
played in our country.

1. udol ___________________________________________

2. kasnse and raeldds ___________________________________________

3. bracbels ___________________________________________

4. obok eritcck ___________________________________________

5. tchca eth heift ___________________________________________

6. kaakd bkkaad ___________________________________________

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a radio documentary on kabaddi. Correct the statements
given below.
1. Kabaddi is also known as the ‘game of escape’.
2. The game is played with 11 players in each team.
3. The defensive side is called the ‘raider’ and the offensive side is called
the ‘antis’.
4. The first framework of rules for kabaddi was prepared in Bihar
in 1947.
5. The First Asian Kabaddi Championship was held in 1969.

Outdoor Games 85
 B. Listen to the documentary again. Work in pairs and answer the
following questions.
1. How is the team for kabaddi formed? Elaborate.
2. How is the game played?
3. In what manner has India contributed in making the game popular at
the national level?
4. To what extent have countries come together to make kabaddi an
international sport? Elaborate.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of four and make a
3–minute presentation on any one
indoor game played in India. Ensure
that your presentation contains all
information required to play the
game. Share your presentation with
the class. Allow time for questions
and discussion.

B. Work in groups of four and create an interesting indoor game. For this,
you will have to:
devise rules for the game.
design a format for the game.
provide information, e.g., number of players and items, needed for
the game.

C. Exchange the game created by your group with the other group. Play
the game created by the other group.

86 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 37 Adolescence
Youth
Learning Outcomes webbed!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

understand and analyse social issues.

speak, discuss and debate on any given topic.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below to check if you show signs of
Internet addiction.

i ii

B. Work in pairs and discuss the following questions.

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your use of Internet? Justify
or explain the time you spend using the Internet?
2. What do you understand by Internet addiction? Do you know anyone
who suffers from such addiction? Has the person been able to control
the addiction or not? How?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a report on increasing Internet addiction among adolescents.
Work in pairs and fill in the following information.
1. Examples of Internet addiction are ____________________.
2. ____________________ are the reasons for increasing Internet addiction
among children.
3. Internet addiction leads to ____________________.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in pairs and answer the following questions.
1. According to you, how often should a child be
allowed to use the Internet? Why?
2. To what extent is parental supervision necessary
while children access the Internet? Why?
3. How would you strike a balance between your
Internet usage and commitments towards school,
study, family, friends, etc.?

B. Work in groups of five and frame a weekly

schedule for using the Internet for yourself and
your classmates, taking into account the school
timetable and personal commitments. Share it with
the class. Allow time for feedback and discussion.

88 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 38 Reading
Lead to
Learning Outcomes read
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

speak, discuss and debate opinions regarding

reading habits of adolescents.

Warm-up
A. Listen to the complaint and answer the following questions.
1. Who is complaining?
2. To whom is the complaint addressed?
3. How do you think this problem can be solved? Give, at least,
three suggestions.

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the advice offered by a parent and make corrections to the
statements given below.
1. The parent’s advice is to keep the child away from television.
2. Bhaumik should ask his son to read at home while he is busy working
in office.
3. Bhaumik should not encourage his son to read comics.
4. Book websites only help in paying for books.
 B. Listen to the advice again. Work in pairs and
answer the following questions.

1. To what extent do you agree with the advice?

Why?

2. According to the advice offered, how does a

parent’s participation help inculcate reading habit
in a child? Give reasons to support your opinion.

3. Based on your own reading habit, offer three

suggestions to help Bhaumik develop reading
habit in his son.

4. List five suggestions that you would give Bhaumik’s

son so that he can work on his reading habit
independently. Share these with the class.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five and make a presentation on the steps
your school should take to improve the reading habit of your
classmates. Share your presentation with the class, explaining how
these steps will help achieve this aim. Allow time for feedback and
discussion.

90 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 39 Health
Health
Learning Outcomes matters!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

write a summary.

develop speaking skills so that they can discuss and share

their ideas on health issues.

Warm-up
A. Look at the picture given below. Work in pairs and share your response
to the given questions.

1. Is obesity a state of body or mind? Give reasons to support

your response.
2. How does being obese affect the social life of an individual?
3. According to you, what factors lead to obesity?
4. List three prejudices associated with obesity or obese people.
How should one counter these prejudices?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the report on obesity and fill in the blanks.

1. According to the study, obese people have an underlying ____________

to eat continuously.
(a) need (b) drive (c) hunger (d) desire

2. Midbrain is one of the body’s most powerful _____________ centres.

(a) punishment (b) creative (c) reward (d) active

3. Obese people get tempted by images of food even after having a meal as
their desire for food drops by only_____________.
(a) 4% (b) 10% (c) 34% (d) 25%

4. According to the study, it is _____________ for some people to maintain

a healthy weight than others.
(a) harder (b) boring (c) wrong (d) easy

B. Listen to the report again. Work in pairs and write its summary in
150 words. Share it with the class. Allow time for feedback.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five and prepare a short presentation (2–3 minutes)
on any one health issue that you think needs attention. Ensure to
include the opinions of all group members. Share your presentation
with the class. Allow time for feedback and discussion.

92 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 40 parents and
children
Workshop
Learning Outcomes for
parents
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

discuss and debate on the issue of parenting.

use critical skills to develop ideas on parenting.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and discuss the
following questions.
i ii

1. List some of the things that your parents

iii
do for you that you like.
2. List some of the things that you wish they
would not do.
3. Do you think parents can also make
mistakes? Give reasons for
your response.
4. Based on your experiences (both good and
bad), make a list of suggestions for parents
having children of your age.
 Activity 1 Listening
A. Listen to the list of suggestions offered for parenting and fill in the
missing information.

1. Tell your children that you ______________________ (like/love) them.

They ______________________ (often, always) love hearing that.

2. You should ______________________ (always/never) try to mould your

children into what you would want them to become. Instead accept
your children as they ______________________ (are/dream).

3. Show ______________________ (interest/affection) towards what your

child has to say ______________________ (sometimes/always).

4. Your children need to know that ______________________ (everyone

is blessed with different talents/some people are more talented
than others).

5. Tell your children that perfection is not in the way one

______________________ (looks/skills). It lies in the way one utilises
one’s ______________________ (looks/talents).

6. Guide your children to pay attention to their ______________________

(weaknesses/strengths) and develop them.

7. Teach them how to ______________________ (share/love) and

______________________ (help/respect) others.

8. Make your children believe that you ______________________ (are/are

not) always there to support them.

9. Always behave ______________________ (firmly/politely) with your

children.

10. Your child should be allowed to make ______________________

(small/big) decisions under your guidance.

11. Teach your child to accept ______________________ (achievements/

mistakes) and ______________________ (success/failure) gracefully.

12. Children need to be given ______________________ (credit/reward) for

their efforts so that they can confidently pursue bigger aims.

94 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

B. Listen to the suggestions again. Work in pairs and list any five
suggestions that you liked. Give reasons for your response.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five and design a one–day workshop for the parents
of your classmates to help them become better parents. Share your
ideas with the class. Allow time for feedback and discussion.

Parents and Children 95

 41 Social Issues
Equality
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

gather specific information about equality.

share their opinions on the matter.

talk about other similar or related social issues.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and discuss the
following questions.

i ii

1. What is the issue common in the above two pictures?

2. Have you come across such advertisements, signages or situations?
Share it with your friend.
3. What did you learn from them?
4. Share, two examples of discrimination other than those depicted in the
pictures given above.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the audio. Work in pairs and answer the following questions.
1. What is apartheid?
2. According to the passage, why could it not be practised in India?
3. How did people fight against it?
4. Do you think such a system is justified? Why?

B. Listen to the audio again and fill in the blanks given below.

Aparthied was a system of ________________ discrimination unique
to ______________ imposed by the white ____________. During the
______________________ and ______________________ centuries, trading
companies from __________________ occupied the country using force and
arms. The system of ________________ was seperate for the whites and
blacks. This was called __________________. __________________ could not
even visit the _________________, where the ________________ worshipped.
Several countries __________________ apertheid as __________________ and
____________________.

Activity II Speaking
A. Form groups of four to five members, and discuss and write a rationale
in 100–150 words on different kinds of discrimination you observe
in society. Share your rationale with the class and give suggestions
for eradicating the same. Allow time for feedback and discussion.

B. Are all children getting equal opportunities. If no, why? If yes, what is
being done on the part of parents and society?

Social Issues 97
 42 Culnary Treat
Preparing
Learning Outcomes dishes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the given text.

gather specific information about a particular dish.

write the recipe of the said dish.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs to answer the following
questions and complete the tasks.

ii
i

iv
iii

1. Identify the dishes in the above pictures.

2. Think of two dishes that are not depicted in the above pictures.
3. Tell your friend about your favourite dish. Also, talk about the
experience when you first tasted it and why you liked it.
4. Make a list of ingredients used to prepare your favourite dish. Work
with your friend and write down the recipe to prepare it.
 Cooking Verbs
B. Work in pairs and fill in the crossword puzzle based on
different actions involved in cooking.

ACROSS
3. fry quickly in a hot fat
4. cook by prolonged exposure over fire 1.
6. reduce to small shreds by rubbing it on a grater

DOWN 2.
1. cook by dry heat
without direct 3.
exposure to flame,
4.
typically, in an oven
2. decorate 5.
3. cook by steaming
6.
5. remove the outer
covering or skin

Activity I Listening
A. Listen carefully to the recipe to make dhokla and fill in the blanks.

The mixture of ______________________ (gram/wheat) and

______________________ (yoghurt/milk) needs to be left to
______________________ (ferment/freeze) for few hours. The batter is
then, ______________________ (fried/steamed). The dhokla, is then,
______________________ (mixed/garnished) with chopped coriander leaves
and grated coconut.

B. Listen to the audio again and decide the language in which you will
write down the recipe.

Culnary Treat 99
 Activity II Speaking
A. Work with your friend and write down the recipe of a dish that
you would like to prepare, giving specific instruction for each step
using vocabulary and imperatives*. Share it with the class and ask
for feedback.

We can use imperative sentences to:

give an order. For example:
1. Sit down. 2. Stand straight. 3. Put your notebooks away.

give instructions. For example:

1. Take a right, and then, keep going straight.
2. Stand behind the yellow line.
3. Stay there.

make an invitation. For example:

1. Relax! Have a cup of tea with me.
2. Carry on! I will join you people later.
3. Come in! Make yourself comfortable.

on signs and notices. For example:

1. Attention! 2. Do not use phones. 3. Silence!

give friendly informal advice. For example:

1. Don’t overdo it. You need some rest tonight.
2. Come over. We’ll cheer you up.
3. Gather around. I’m going to tell you a story.

*Imperatives: Main verb (infinitive) + object or complement

Note: The subject of a sentence is not needed and, thus, omitted.

100 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 43 Hobbies
Writing a
Learning Outcomes blog
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
understand the conventions for writing a blog.

create and design their own blog independently.

construct a narrative for a blog post.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and discuss the
following questions.

i ii iii

iv v

1. To what extent is technology important for communication in

your life?
2. How does it make communication efficient?
3. On a scale of 1 to 5, how comfortable are you expressing yourself
through the following. Give a reason for each of your response.

1 2 3 4 5
Very Uncomfortable Don’t Like it Love it
uncomfortable mind

(a) Facebook

(b) SMS
 ( c) WhatsApp
(d) Blog
(e) Email

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a student’s blog post regarding subjects taught at school.
1. Briefly state what reasons the writer has given for not liking:
(a) physics (b) maths (c) history (d) biology
2. Work in pairs and make a note on the following issues used in the blog.
(a) content (b) tone (c) language
(d) devices of expression (e) structure

Activity II Speaking
A. Work with your friend and write a response in 100–150 words
to this blog post using the same tone and language as used by
the blogger.

B. Work in groups of four and create a blog. Your discussion must help
you decide:
1. your blog’s web address.
2. customisation of your blog’s main page, for example
theme, colour, outline, etc.
3. accessibility (public or friends only or friends of friends).

C. Work with your group and write the first post of 200 words on your
blog. Share your post with the class. Invite feedback and discussion.

102 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 44 Handicrafts
Pottery
Learning Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
acquire speaking skills to seek information.

express their knowledge on a certain topic and show

interest in the same.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Ask any five students in your class
the following questions. Make a note of their answers.
1. Which items can you identify?
2. Where are each of these items made?
3. Can you explain the process of making any one of these items?

i ii iii iv

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the short narrative on pottery in India and match
the columns.

A B

1. Pottery is found in (a) Haryana.

(b) all over India.
(c) Andhra Pradesh.

2. The techniques employed ( a) been the same since ancient times.

by pottery artists have (b) changed overnight.
(c) evolved over centuries.

3. To create different parts ( a) clay to create shapes.
of a clay figure, a potter (b) stones to create shapes.
uses (c) metal to create shapes.

4. During Durga Puja, (a) leaders.

potters make a giant (b) Goddess.
figure of the (c) gods.

5. The entire figure of the ( a) natural mineral colours.

deity is painted with (b) natural oil paint.
(c) spices.

B. What aspects of pottery have been discussed in the narrative?

Listen to the audio again and make a list of those aspects
(for example making process, history, etc.)

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of four and create a narrative of 150–200 words to
promote a handicraft. Include aspects that have been discussed in
the pottery narrative. Besides, include the other aspects of that
particular craft form that you would like people to know and state
how you plan to do so. Share your narrative with the class.

B. Talk to other groups for feedback on your narrative in order to

improve it.

104 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 45 Agriculture
Varieties
Learning Outcomes of paddy

Learners will be able to:

listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
structure their arguments using topic sentence and

supporting evidence.
develop listening skills to gather information on

India’s culture.
express their views on agriculture in India.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below and identify the crops being cultivated
in each of these. Work in pairs to complete the following tasks.

i ii
iii

1. Ask the pairs sitting next to you the crops they were able to identify and how
they know about it.
2. Choose any two crops that you know about and provide the following
information.
(a) Season in which they grow (b) Form in which they are used
(c) Regions in which they are cultivated
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the article about paddy cultivation in Chhattisgarh. Work
in groups of five and answer the following questions.
1. According to the article, what are the two reasons because of
which rice is important for the people of Chhattisgarh?
2. How many traits help distinguish one paddy variety from another?
What are some of these traits listed in the article?
3. On what note does the article conclude? Give reasons to support
your point.
4. Listen to the article again and name any three varities of rice
grown in Chhattisgarh. Try finding out two more rice varities
grown in the State.

Activity II Speaking
A. You are a radio newsreader. Prepare a news report, giving an update
on recent developments in any field of your interest. The news report
must include, at least, two arguments with supporting evidence.
Present it before the class.

106 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 46 Travel and
Tourism
Learning Outcomes Around the
world
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
express their opinion about travel.

listen and draw inference.

integrate speaking skills and participate in promoting

tourism in India.

Warm-up
A. Given below is a list of activities one does when one travels to a tourist
place. Here are some jumbled words. Work in pairs and identify the words.

1. hgstnseiegi

2. geknrikt

3. suaghntbin

4. iningd

5. rteaw tspors

6. idrb taicwhng

7. apiggrlime

8. pioshpng
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the extract on the importance of tourism in India. Work in
pairs and come up with explanations for the following statements.
1. Tourism in India has been growing in the last three decades.
2. Tourism promotes national integration.
3. Tourism provides support to local handicrafts and helps boost
cultural pursuits.

B. Share your explanation with the entire class. Allow opportunities for
feedback and discussion.

Activity II Speaking
A. Speak to 10 of your classmates and find out which of the following
types of tourism appeals to them and why.
1. Ecotourism 2. Adventure tourism 3. Cultural tourism
4. Medical tourism 5. Business tourism

B. Based on the information you have gathered, work in groups of five

to make an advertisement, promoting tourism in the city, where you
live or any other city of your choice. Ensure that your advertisement
caters to all kind of tourist interests. Share your advertisement with
the class. Allow opportunity for feedback and discussion.

108 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 47 Self, friends
and Others
Learning Outcomes Breaking
the
Learners will be able to:
bully
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

comment on the issue of bullying.

listen, comprehend and evaluate the arguments

of a given piece of information.

talk to each other to find a solution to deal with bullying.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and answer the
following questions.

i ii

1. How often do you witness or come to know about bullying incidents

at school? Explain the reasons behind it.
2. What are some other spaces where bullying takes place? Why?
3. According to you, what are some of the common traits of bullies?
 Activity I Listening

Talk nicely

Walk a
A. Listen to the passage titled ‘Tame the Bully
within’ and answer the following questions.
Be

Tel
1. What are some of the traits that the passage
Po l

l a
associates with a bully?

way
ite

te
2. According to the passage, what are some of the

ac he
traits of bully?
r 3. How does the school help Akash?
Stop
Ig

4. List some ways to help a bully.

n
o

Bullying
re

5. To what extent does the passage take up the

cause of the victim?
6. What are the suggestions that you would offer
to help the victim overcome the trauma and
experience of bullying?

Activity II Speaking
A. You are a human rights activist. Make a
presentation (in groups of five), suggesting
measures that should be adopted by schools
and at public spaces to prevent bullying. Share
your ideas with the class. Allow time for feedback
and discussion.

110 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 48 creating gender
equality
Learning Outcomes Sha
respon ring
sibili
Learners will be able to: ties
listen for gist, specific information and detail in

the given text.

listen and draw inferences.

discuss and form opinions regarding gender difference.

create a story or narrative in the context of gender biases

around them.

Warm-up
A. Look at the following pictures carefully. Work in pairs and answer
these questions.

i ii

1. According to you, what is the common issue

being depicted in these pictures? Why do
iii you feel so?
2. How often have you witnessed such
situations around you? What have you
done to change them?
3. What do you understand by gender
equality?
4. Suggest three ways to bring a change to
gender stereotype in society.
 Activity I Listening
A. Your teacher will be reading aloud the first half of the five sentences
(see Appendix 48). Listen carefully and work with your friend to predict
what follows in the remaining sentences.

B. Listen to the full text. Work in groups of three to write brief notes on
the following.
1. Socialisation 2. Gender typing
3. Gender 4. Dependence training

Activity II Speaking
A. A teacher has to divide a class into groups, having five students each.
Using the terms discussed in the previous exercise, ask each group
to narrate a story around fighting gender roles. The groups will share
their story with the entire class.

112 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 49 Cricket

Learning Outcomes Common

Learners will be able to:
interests
listen for gist, specific information and detail in

the given text.

talk in the context of trends in social issues.

share their opinion on a topic.

debate and discuss.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and answer the
following questions.

i ii

1. How well do you know about these iii

public places?
2. What is the common link between these
pictures? How often do you come across
such situations in your everyday life?
Give two examples from any public
field other than the ones shown in the
above pictures.
3. What are the disciplines or fields where
such associations are not often found?
Why do you think that is the case?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to a piece titled ‘Why cricket is India’s most effective social
equaliser’. Work in pairs and discuss the tasks given below.
1. Mention any three issues you think the piece talks about?
2. What kind of tone do you think the writer has used?
3. What is the position the writer takes?
4. Listen carefully to your teacher, reading aloud the piece, and check if
your responses are accurate. Make corrections wherever necessary.

Activity II Speaking
A. Debate: Work in groups of five students each and build arguments
both for and against the motion in response to the piece. You should
have, at least, two points each of agreement and disagreement with
the piece. Share these with the class. Open the discussion to get the
response of other students.

114 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 50 Language and
Culture
Learning Outcomes Learning
English
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in

the given text.

express their views on their learning experience.

respond to the given report.

write a critical review.

write a narrative based on their opinion.

Warm-up

i ii iii

khe badi he che jim se te

Ā i

zuád suád siň sin zhe

o e r

gaf kaf caf ke ghein

ka kha ga

iv v
e ai o au

ka kha ga gha na

ca cha ja jha Ña

ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa

ta tha da dha na

pa pha ba bha ma

A. Work in pairs and discuss your responses to the following questions.

1. How confident are you while speaking in your mother tongue?
2. On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your proficiency in your
native language?
 1 2 3 4 5

I can neither I understand I understand I can I think in this

speak nor the language the language understand, language,
understand but cannot and can speak speak, as and can
the language. speak in it. in it as well. well as, read understand,
comfortably in speak, read
the language. and write in it.

3. How would you rate yourself in the second language (e.g., English) on
the scale of proficiency as given above? Why?
4. ‘English is the second language as compared to other foreign
languages, as well as, native Indian languages’. Comment on this
statement. Give reasons for your response.

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the article on English language teaching. Work in groups of
three and discuss your response to the following questions.
1. Why is English considered a part of multilingual environment?
2. What are the skills required to acquire a language? Give reasons for
your response.

Activity II Speaking
A. Answer the following questions.
1. Listen to the audio again and discuss how India is a multilingual
country.
2. What is needed to learn a language?

B. Write a narrative in 150–200 words, sharing your experience of learning

English. Share it with a friend in class.

116 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 51 Pets OR Domestic
Animals
Care for
Learning Outcomes animals
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail

in the given text.

express their point of view.

develop skills to engage in debate and discussion.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and answer the
following questions.

i ii

iii iv

1. How often and where do you come across animals in public spaces?
2. What do you think is the relationship between people and their pets
in India?
3. How should we work towards ensuring the safety of domestic animals
in India? Give, at least, three suggestions.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the audio and fill in the blanks.
It is important to take pets on ____________ walks, therefore,
do not keep them ____________ for too long and ensure
that they are taken regularly for medical examination
to a ____________. Dogs are called man’s ____________
____________ They get ____________ when you are away and
are the ____________ in the presense of their human family.
2. Listen to the text (audio) again. Work in pairs and
answer the following.

1. Suggest a title of the article.

2. Suggest ways to carry out the writer’s advice in the

school curriculum.
3. Suggest at least one law that should be in place for the
welfare of pets.

Activity II Speaking
A. Debate: Work in groups of five students each and write at least three
arguments both for and against the motion — ‘Should we allow people
to keep pets at home?’ Share your response with the class to allow
discussion on the matter.

118 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

52 HAPPINESS
If you are
happy and
Learning Outcomes you know…
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
develop listening skills to gather the gist.

integrate the given information with their personal

experiences to build an opinion in the context of happiness.

Warm-up

i ii

A. Answer the following questions.

iii
1. How do you define happiness?
2. To what extent can happiness be
measured? How?
3. (a) Prepare a questionnaire, consisting of
five questions, that helps you to find
out if the respondents are happy.
(b) Ask the pairs, sitting to your right and
left, to respond to these questions.
(c) Analyse their responses to arrive
at a conclusion about the state of
happiness among the respondents.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the report on human happiness index. Work in pairs and
answer the following questions.
1. In what manner do you think the following factors contribute
to happiness.
(a) Social support (b) Income
(c) Healthy life expectancy (d) Freedom to make life choices
(e) Generosity (f) Perceptions of corruption
2. Why does the report put children’s mental health as priority?

Activity II Speaking
A. Share which hobby or activity makes you happy. Also, share how do
you persue it.

120 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 53 Rights and duties
Voting and
Learning Outcomes participatio
n
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
express their views on voting and participation in the

electoral process.
present their plans to improve participation in voting.

listen, analyse and infer from the information conveyed

in the report.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and discuss your
response to the following questions.

i ii iii

1. What is the common activity shown in these pictures? What are the
signs that indicate the same?
2. Why is it important to allow everyone to vote?
3. To what extent does voting allow the participation of citizens in the
development of a country? Give examples to support your opinion.
4. The recent years have seen an increased voter participation in
elections in India. However, there is still room for more participation
and inclusion. Respond to this statement, stating reasons.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the news report carefully. Work in pairs and answer
the following questions.
1. State whether the following statements are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
(a) The Delhi Election Commission has taken up an initiative
to ensure the participation of differently abled people in
elections.
(b) The Delhi Election Commission refused to take help from
NGOs and other civil society organisations.
(c) The Election Commissioner of Delhi does not think that a
lot of differently abled people will come to vote this year.
(d) The report suggests that the move taken by the Election
Commission is a positive one.

2. Share your responses on the following questions with

your friend.
(a) India has come a long way since Independence in terms
of participation by citizens in the process of government
formation. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons.
(b) In what ways can we encourage more voter participation
in elections in India? Come up with, at least, three
suggestions.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five students each and devise a plan to improve
voter participation in elections. Share your plan with the class, and
allow feedback and discussion. Also, allow your classmates to share
their ideas to improve the plan.

122 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 54 Society and
Culture
The wonder
Learning Outcomes that
India is!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
understand different cultures and faiths.

put forward their opinions in the context of India’s cultural

and religious diversity and participate in a discussion.

Warm-up
A. Look at the following pictures. Work in pairs and answer these questions.

i ii

iii iv

1. How important is it for you to know someone’s religion in making

friends? Why?
2. Do you participate in festivals celebrated by your friends from other
faiths? What have you learnt by doing so?
3. Name any two festivals that you like to celebrate. Why?
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks.

1. Festivals are an expression and celebration of our glorious

_______________, _________________ and _________________. Our
religious festivals spread the message of ____________________,
____________________, _________________ and _________________ towards
each other. They bring a _________________ to our face.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of four students each and make a presentation on any
two kind of diversities found in India. Share it with the class. Allow
feedback and discussion.

B. Work in pairs and answer the following questions.

(a) To what extent do you find religious diversity a part of your everyday
life? Give, at least, two examples.
(b) How important it is for you to be aware of the belief systems of other
faiths? Why?
(c) How would you define religious secularism in the context of India’s
diverse culture?

124 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 55 Social Welfare
A helping
Learning Outcomes hand!
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
talk about people, who have contributed to changing

the society and world at large.

listen to personal narratives and discuss conflicts

and resolutions.
narrate their dream of bringing a change to the world.

Warm-up
A. Match the famous personalities in these pictures with their quotes.

1. If you want to shine like the Sun. First burn like the Sun.
2. If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
 3. An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
4. A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be
the servant of the society.
5. Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the
life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by
being shared.

B. Keeping in mind these figures and other such philanthropic

personalities, answer the following questions.
1. What are the qualities that you associate with great people? Why?
2. Mention, at least, three factors that make people bring a change
in society.
3. How does personal change affect social change? Give examples to
support your argument.

Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the narrative of a man, who changed his life for a cause.
1. Work in pairs to write short notes on the following components of the
narrative. Use examples from the narrative to support your idea.
(a) Conflict (b) Resolution (c) Determination

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five and construct a narrative about any figure
around you, who has brought about a significant change. Ensure that
it has a specified timeline, a conflict, as well as, resolution. Share the
narrative with your class.

126 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for classes VI to X

 56 Technology
The lethal
Learning Outcomes selfie
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in the

given text.
make an analysis and draw a conclusion on the basis

of information available to them.

develop creative skills to build a story, discussing peer

pressure and personal experience in the context of

selfie phenomenon.

Warm-up
A. Look at the pictures given below. Work in pairs and discuss your
responses to the following questions.

i ii iii

1. What was your first reaction to these comic strips? Why?

2. How often have you come across selfie obsession? How do you deal
with it?
3. How does selfie contribute to one’s self worth?
4. What are the dangers of selfie obsession? List, at least, three.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the news report and identify the correct pie chart.
1. The ratio between 18–25 year old males and females of death
precipitated by selfie is _____________________.

Death count in % Death count in %

(i) (ii)

Male Female

2. The graph of various accidents precipitated by selfie is _____________________.

(a) y
16
No. of cases (49 deaths)

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0 x
in
ng
ll

tra
ta

i
ow

ng
ng or

Dr

mi
ldi liff

co
bu a c

On
ff
go
llin

Types of accident
Fa

128 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 (b)
y
18

No. of cases (49 deaths)

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0 x
Falling off a cliff Drowing Oncoming train
or tall bulding

Types of accident

B. Discuss your response with your friend for the following questions.
1. To what extent do you think that selfie obsession is the reason for the
deaths mentioned in the report? Give reasons.
2. What does the report indicate about the issue of self praise in today’s
world? Elaborate.
3. To what extent should we hold peer and social pressure responsible
for these accidents? Give reasons.

Activity II Speaking
A. Work in groups of five each to build a story, involving a selfie. Share
your story with the class.

B. Discuss with your friends some accidents that occur because

of negligence.

Technology 129
 57 Perspectives
Every
opinion
Learning Outcomes counts
Learners will be able to:
listen for gist, specific information and detail in

the given text.

understand different viewpoints and express them.

use appropriate phrases while presenting someone

else’s opinion.

Warm-up
A. What do the following cartoon strips depict? Does the boy and his
father have different views due to their age? Why do people look at a
thing differently?
I will learn
Difficult to
follow
i ii Very good! iii

Safe and
secure

B. Look at the bubbles given below, offering some perspectives on

destiny and reflective of varied character traits. Now, discuss the
following questions in pairs.

Why bother
We come with a
A person creates to explain the
preordained life. No
one’s destiny inexplicable fate,
matter what we do,
through one’s destiny or luck? Do
we cannot question
actions. your best and forget
or change it.
the rest!

1. Think of a common situation and discuss it with your friend. How you
both responded to it? Were your reactions similar or different? Why?
2. Out of the three traits given above (optimism, pessimism and realism),
which one do you identify with? Build the idea given in the bubble of
your choice in five–six sentences and share it with your friend.
 Activity I Listening
A. Listen to the audio clip and infer whether the following statements
are ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’.

1. Vidushi’s play is on gender equality.

2. Raghav anticipates that Vidushi’s play will
be boring, primarily, because of its anti-men
theme.
3. Vidushi sarcastically tells Raghav to watch
her play.
4. Both Amaya and Vidushi are not happy with
Rahgav’s opinion.
5. Amaya says that Raghav needs to grow up
because he is narrow-minded.

Activity II Speaking
A. Discuss the following statements with your friend. Try to explain your
viewpoint, giving reasons, and understand your friend’s perspective
rather than looking for right or wrong answers. You may research or
take help from your teacher for better conceptual clarity of the term
‘gender equality’.
1. What do you understand by ‘gender equality’?
2. A person who is gender sensitised will have accommodating views on
gender equality.

B. Now, present your friend’s views on any of the above statements before
the entire class. You may use the following phrases.
According to my friend (name)…
In my friend’s opinion…
Perspectives 131
 My friend feels or thinks…
Contrary to what some of us may think, my friend is of the
opinion that…
My friend’s take on the issue is that….

C. From the conversation you heard, you know that Vidushi’s play is
titled ‘Beti bachao, beti padhao’ and is about gender sensitisation.
Use your imagination to describe how the play would have explored
the issue. Volunteer to come forward and share your version with
the class.

D. In groups of four to five students each, prepare and present a scene of

about 1–2 minutes on one of the themes given below or on any other
theme of your choice, and explore different opinions that the theme
can possibly generate. Ensure that each participant in the group
speaks. Avoid memorising the lines prepared in advance. Some of the
themes to build a situation on could be as follows.
Use of internet by adolescents
Career choices for girls
Media and its role in contemporary society

132 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 58 Communication
Communicatio
Learning Outcomes can be fun —–
n
Learners will be able to let’s play
listen for gist, specific information and
games
detail in the given text.
try to explain reasons behind ineffective

communication.
provide examples of turning ineffective

communication into an effective one.

Warm-up
A. Take this short quiz to assess your skills in English while speaking
and listening.
1. Whenever you have to use English to express your thoughts, you
(a) try to convey your message even though your knowledge of the
language is limited.
(b) you become nervous and speak in English in bits and pieces.
(c) remain silent because you think people will laugh at you.

2. When you convey your ideas to others, they often

(a) understand you easily.
(b) have problems in understanding exactly what you wish to say.
(c) do not understand you at all.

3. If you come across a new English word used by someone, you

(a) try to guess what it may mean.
(b) go back and find out its meaning and usage in a dictionary.
(c) forget it.

4. When others speak to you, you

(a) listen to them attentively before answering.
(b) answer while being partially attentive.
(c) answer immediately without thinking.
 5. If someone does not understand, you
(a) make an attempt to explain again using different words.
(b) repeat what you said slowly and clearly.
(c) get angry and change the topic.

6. While communicating with others, you

(a) use eye contact, gestures, etc., apart from words.
(b) use words alone and not body language as support.
(c) do not consciously think of how you are talking.

7. In a conversation, you
(a) try to understand the other person’s opinion.
(b) stick to your own viewpoint.
(c) fight with people who disagree with you.

Assessment Time
Depending on what your response to each of the above question was, you must
have guessed how well you talk to others (Most A’s would mean good, most
B’s would mean fair but suggest scope for improvement and most C’s would
mean you need to understand the fundamentals of communication). However,
remember that no one is born with error-free language and interpersonal skills.
We all possess the ability to effectively interact with others. But most of us do
not think about it and never bother to improve ourselves. Now is the time to
learn how to communicate with others.

Activity I Listening
A. Work with your friend and form questions based on any aspect of
communication mentioned in the text. Pose questions to others like
the following and seek responses.
Apart from sharing information, for what other purposes do we need
to communicate?
What would be an informal situation for communication?

134 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Activity II Speaking
A. A comment on my chit, please!
Work in pairs, and think, discuss and write down three causes for
ineffective communication.

Pair 1’s chit

‘Causes of ineffective communication’
Cause 1: Noise
Cause 2: Inappropriate expression
Cause 3: Advanced technology

Exchange your list with the pair sitting behind you (say Pair 6), whose
members will have to assess if the causes mentioned by you (Pair 1) are
clear or not, and give an example to any one of the causes mentioned
by you.

Pair 6’s addition to Pair 1’s chit

‘Causes of ineffective communication’

Cause 1: Noise Correct

Example: Background noise in a telephonic conversation

may lead to the listener jot down wrong time of a meeting.

Cause 2: Inappropriate expression Clear

Cause 3: Advanced technology Unclear

The pair (pair No. 6), after giving an example, volunteers and presents it
before the class. For example:
“Pair 1 wrote three causes of ineffective communication  — noise,
inappropriate expression and advanced technology. We think noise is
indeed a cause for ineffective communication and our example is
‘background noise in a telephone conversation’, leading the listener to jot
down wrong time of the meeting. Besides, we think while Cause 2 was
clear, Cause 3 was vague.”

Communication 135
 Similarly, Pair 6 passes its chit to the pair sitting behind it, and so on and
so forth.
Some of the sentence linkers that you can use are:
however or moreover…
because…
therefore…
although…yet…

B. We can make it work

In groups of four to five members, think of an ineffective communication
situation. Now, discuss among your group and provide a possible solution
to turn it into a case of effective communication. Share it with the class in
the form of a short presentation, where, at least, three out of five students
of the group speak. The next group (any one member) provides a feedback
on the presentation, evaluating it both in terms of content and delivery, and
suggesting improvements or modifications, if any. Additional comments,
if any, from any other student of the class are welcome. The facilitator is
available at all stages of the task to advice the students.

136 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 1
Rima :
Thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to interview you.
Mary Kom : My pleasure, Rima. I love children and enjoy talking with them.
I have twin sons of my own (smiles)!
Rahul : You are an Olympic medallist, a five-time world amateur boxing
champion and a Padma Bhushan recipient. What made you
take up boxing?
Mary Kom : I was born in a poor tribal family in a village in Manipur. I worked
in the fields to help my parents. While attending school, I played
all kind of sports but enjoyed martial arts the most. Boxing isn’t
considered a sport for women. But when I was adjudged the
best boxer at State-level sub-junior championship, I realised
that this talent was a gift.
Rima : When you fight opponents heavier than you, do you feel scared?
Rahul : What goes on in your mind when you are in the ring?
Mary Kom : In the ring, I am focussed. Distractions can cost heavily. I have
confidence in my abilities. I train hard and regularly. Against
stronger opponents, I rely on my speed. I get into the hit quickly,
and then, get out even faster.
Rima : I am so inspired by you! Will you teach me boxing?
Rahul : Me too!
Mary kom : I teach boxing but only to few students from Manipur. I do
not take students from other States because I don’t have the
facilities. My students come from poor homes. I look after their
stay and food. They jog in the jungle and train near my home.
One of my students is a National champion. Many have left and
gone. One needs grit to continue in this sport.
Rima : Was your journey to the Olympics long and tough? How difficult
was it for you?
Mary Kom : It wasn’t easy (smiles)! There are no short cuts to success. I had
to work hard and persevere. I never gave up even in the face of
adversity. My family supported me. My husband encourages me
to train and focus on my career. He manages the home and the
Academy in my absence.
Rahul : The students of our school are looking forward to reading this
interview in the school magazine. You are an
inspiration to so many!
Rima : Thank you for sparing your valuable time for us,
ma’am.

Appendix 137
 Appendix 2
Learn an easy way of making a boat that will float on water.
You will need a rectangular piece of paper.
Take your time and make sure that you press firmly on the folds.
Have fun!
1. 2. 3. 4.

Fold the sheet of Fold and unfold Fold in the top Fold up the front
paper into half the sheet down the corners towards bottom flap. Turn the
middle to create a the centre. paper round and fold
centre crease. up the second flap.
C
5. 6. 7. 8.

A B A
B
Fold and tuck in Fold the corners Open the triangle ‘A’ and ‘B’ must be on
the corners of the of the back flap at its base and join top of each other. Mark
front flap. towards the front. together the corners. the opposite corner ‘C’.
Now, you have a Mark the corners
triangular shape. ‘A’ and ‘B’.

9. C 10. C 11.
B

D E
A

Fold ‘A’ up (along) the Turn the paper round Open the resulting triangle at its
dotted line) to ‘C’. and fold ‘B’ up to ‘C’. base. Join together the corners
and call them ‘D’ and ‘E’.

12. 13.

Carefully pull out the top Open the centre from underneath
corners to create your boat. to make sure that the boat floats on
water. It is ready to sail.

138 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 3
1. Boil, cool and peel half-a-kg of potatoes, and dice them into small pieces.
2. Boil, cool and peel four large tomatoes, and grind them to a fine puree.
3. Finely chop three onions and three to four green chillies.
4. Dry roast some coriander, cumin and sesame seeds. Allow the mixture to
cool and grind.
5. Blend garlic, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves to a fine paste.
Add some water and salt (to taste) to the mixture.
6. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan, add chopped onions and tomato
puree to it, and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Then, put the coriander, ginger, garlic and green chilly paste
into the pan, and fry it for some time.
8. As the oil starts separating, add the potatoes.
9. Next, add two heaped teaspoons of dry roasted and ground
coriander, cumin and sesame seeds.
10. When the potatoes are cooked, serve hot.

Appendix 4
In the 1970s, an organised resistance to the destruction of forests spread
throughout India and came to be known as the ‘Chipko Movement’. The name
of the movement comes from the word ‘embrace’ as villagers hugged trees and
prevented contractors from felling them.
Not many people know that over the last few centuries, many communities in
India have helped save nature. One such community is the Bishnoi community
of Rajasthan. The original ‘Chipko Movement’ began around 260 years ago in
the early eighteenth century in Rajasthan. It was started by the Bishnois. A
large group of people from the Bishnoi Community from about 84 villages, led
by a woman named Amrita Devi, laid down their lives in an effort to protect
the trees from being felled on the orders of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. After this
incident, the Maharaja passed a strong royal decree, preventing the felling of
trees in all Bishnoi villages.
In the twentieth century, it began in the hills, where forests are the main
source of livelihood, as agricultural activities could not be carried out easily.
The Chipko Movement of 1973 was one of the most famous among these. The
first Chipko action took place spontaneously in April 1973 in Mandal village
in the upper Alaknanda Valley, and over the next five years, it spread to many
districts of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh. Women of the area, under the
Appendix 139
 leadership of an activist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, went into the forest and formed
a circle around trees preventing people from felling them.
Dhoom Singh Negi, Bachni Devi and many others, were the first to save the
trees by hugging them. They coined the slogan — ‘What do the forests bear?
Soil, water and pure air’. The success of the Chipko Movement in the hills saved
thousands of trees from being felled.
Others who were also deeply involved in this movement, were Sunderlal
Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher. Bahuguna coined the Chipko
slogan — ‘Ecology is permanent economy’.

Appendix 5
Kartik and
Girija : Hi, Vani!
Vani : Hi, Kartik! Hi, Girija!
Kartik : Aren’t you coming out to play?
Vani : No! Today I’m going to see the Tom and Jerry film, The Magic
Ring on TV.
Girija : Oh, yes! I’d forgotten. Today, there is a special show of the film
The Magic Ring at five o’clock.
Kartik : Do you know what is it about?
Vani : In this film, Tom gets a magic ring. But before he can make use
of it, the ring gets stuck on Jerry’s head.
Kartik : That sounds interesting! Let’s all watch the film together.
Narrator : Vani, Girija and Kartik sit in front of the TV. Vani’s mother,
Mrs Rao joins them.
Mrs Rao : So, all of you are waiting for the Tom and Jerry film, eh?
Vani : Yes, mom.
Girija and
Kartik : Yes, aunty.
Mrs Rao : Do you know when this show started?
Vani : No, we don’t. Please, tell us about it, mom.
Mrs Rao : The Tom and Jerry Show was started in 1940 by Hanna and
Barbera for MGM Cartoon Studio. Their animation film about a
cat and mouse titled Pussi gets the Boot was an instant hit and
was nominated for the Academy Awards.
Vani : Were they called ‘Tom’ and ‘Jerry’ even then?
140 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X
Mrs Rao : Oh, no! At first, Tom was a white cat called ‘Jasper’ and Jerry
was ‘Jinx’.
Girija : When did The Tom and Jerry Show start as a TV programme?
Mrs Rao : In 1957, MGM Cartoon Studio closed. Between 1975 and 1977,
Hanna and Barbera’s company created new Tom and Jerry
episodes for television.
Kartik : Aunty, why did this cartoon show become so popular?
Vani : I know! In this show, Jerry, the mouse, is the one who wins
because he is smart. It’s Tom, the cat, who loses and learns not
to bully around.
Mrs Rao : You’re right. But there is also another reason.
Vani : What is it, mom?
Mrs Rao : You see, there are no dialogues in the show. Therefore, it can
be understood by even those who do not follow English.
Girija : So, people all over the world watch the show, don’t they?
Mrs Rao : You’re right.
Kartik : Sshh! The show has begun. Let’s watch it.

Appendix 6
Manik: Good morning, everyone! I’m Manik Ahuja, your host. Welcome to
Radio Apna’s show ‘Fitness for All’. It’s a lovely morning. The Sun is shining
bright. Don’t you feel great? Well, if you don’t, then sit up and listen carefully
because today we will talk about how to live a healthier life. Joining us here
in the studio to start things off, we have Dr Sona Singh from ABC Nutrition
Research Centre.
Hi, Dr Sona! Welcome to the programme.
Dr Sona : Hello, Manik. I’m glad to be here. Thank you!
Manik : Dr Sona, you are a nutritionist. Could you tell our listeners what you
exactly do?
Dr Sona : Well, a nutritionist is basically a food scientist...That means, I examine
the effect food has on our bodies.
Manik : Hmmm! So, you mean, you find out what is in a food item, say an
apple, that makes it healthy?
Dr Sona : More or less, yes, Manik. You see, unhealthy eating causes different
kind of health problems, such as obesity and even heart diseases. We
hope to tell people how and what to eat for better health.
Manik : How and what to eat for better health! That sounds too good to be
true! Shouldn’t we be dieting or something?
Appendix 141
 Dr Sona : Not necessarily! You really don’t have to go on a diet for healthy
eating. You can eat just as much as before. But by choosing the
right combination of foods, you’ll become healthier.
Manik : Wonderful! Can you give us, lazy eaters like me, some tips for
adopting healthy eating habits?
Dr Sona : Sure! The best thing you can probably do is add one extra vegetable
to your main meal. And always cook your vegetables by stir-frying.
It’s quick and easy, plus the food items retain their nutrients.
Manik : Great advice! And I guess people like me, who tend to snack on
chocolates and cakes, should swap to, say fruits and other healthy
choices instead?
Dr Sona : That’s right.
Manik : Okay then, Dr Sona. So, are you telling us that fresh fruits, vegetables
and other healthy items will make us live longer?
Dr Sona : Well, yes! The statistics suggest that. You’ll live a longer and healthier
life. In fact, some researches show that eating more fruits and
vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer by as much as 20 per cent.
Manik : Amazing! Thank you so much, Dr Sona, for coming to our studio
and sharing useful information with us.

Appendix 7
Raghu and Leena loved visiting Digha because both of them loved playing on
the beach and swimming in the sea.
“Do you want to come with me to see the Olive Ridley turtles?” Mother asked
Raghu and Leena one day.
“Yes, please!” they said together.
Olive Ridleys are green coloured turtles found only in
warmer waters, including the southern Atlantic, Pacific and
Indian Oceans.

They are the smallest of the sea turtles, weighing up to 45 kg and reaching
only about 2 feet in shell length. These turtles are solitary, preferring the open
ocean environment. They migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles every
year and come together as a group only once a year for arribada, the time when
females return to beaches to hatch eggs.
“I hope some of the eggs have hatched,” said Leena. “I can’t wait to see the
hatchlings!” she added.

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As soon as they reached, Raghu and Leena ran off to the beach. Suddenly,
Raghu grabbed Leena’s arm. “Look at those men!” he said, pointing.
“Oh no! They’re stealing the Olive Ridley eggs!” Leena gasped.
“We can’t let them get away,” said Raghu. “We have to do something,” he added.
Raghu started running towards the road. “If we let air out of the tyres of their
jeep, they can’t escape. Come on, Leena!” he called.
Leena followed him. They both ran as fast as they could. They found the
poachers’ jeep parked on road. It was difficult to deflate the tyres. But,
at last, they managed it. Then, Leena and Raghu went to tell mother what
was happening.
“Good work,” she said, when she heard what they had done. Then, she phoned
the coastguard and informed him about the poachers.
“I’ll be right there,” he said, adding, “Leave these poachers to me”.
The poachers were looking at the deflated tyres of their jeep and got puzzled
when the coastguard arrived. “You two better come with me,” he said sternly,
taking away the eggs from them.

Appendix 8
Nowadays, Father’s Day celebrations are observed across the world.
Father’s Day celebrations started a long time ago in the USA.
Sonora Dodd of Washington first proposed the idea of
‘Father’s Day’ in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honour her father,
William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when
his wife (Dodd’s mother) died during the birth of their sixth child.
Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children all by
himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Dodd
became an adult that she realised the strength and selflessness her father had
shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father who made all
parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless
and loving man. Dodd’s father was born in June. So, she chose to hold the first
Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington, on 19 June 1910.
At about the same time in various towns and cities across America,
other people also started celebrating ‘Father’s Day’. In 1924, President
Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of holding a National Father’s Day. Finally,
in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation,
declaring the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has, thus,
become a day to not only honour one’s father but all men who act as a father
figure — stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers and adult male friends.

Appendix 143
 Appendix 9
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi imparted
the lesson of truth, non-violence and
peace. His philosophy and ideology
are relevant even in today’s times.
His philosophy was based on truth,
sacrifice, non-violence, selfless service
and cooperation. In modern times, too,
non-violent methods of action have
become a powerful tool for registering
social protests.
According to Gandhiji, one must be brave
and not a coward. One must be able to
present one’s views, suggestions and
thoughts without getting violent. One
must fight a war with the weapons of truth
and non-violence. According to him, non-
violence is the ultimate solution for every
kind of problem in the world.
Gandhiji was the person who fought against
the British with the weapons of truth and
non-violence. By the courage of his
conviction, he persuaded the people of
the country to walk on the path of non-
violence. He led decades’ long struggle
against the British rule in India. Under his leadership and guidance, we gained
our freedom on 15 August 1947. He initiated resistance movements, such as
the Quit India and Non-cooperation movement against the British. But he could
not have done what he did all by himself. He understood that it was not enough
to be a leader but to create leaders.
Gandhiji lived his life on simple beliefs and all his life he promoted these beliefs.
Clearly, Gandhism is a mixture of Gandhiji’s concepts and practices. The
practice of non-violence is the most ancient value, according to our scriptures.
It is the foundation of most of the civilisations and cultures of India. He once
said, “I have nothing new to teach you…Truth and non-violence are as old as
the hills.” Truth and non-violence are the two sides of the same coin.
Gandhiji’s importance in the political world scenario is two-fold. First, he
retrieved non-violence as a powerful political tool, and secondly, he spoke of a
higher spiritual goal, one that culminated in world peace. For him, the means
were as important as the end and there could be only one means — that of
non-violence.

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 Appendix 10
I’m Ankita and I love my ‘Journalism Club’. We come up with news and celebrity
news, and then, write articles and interviews. I also love to do the layout
of magazines.
My name is Sunil and I enjoy participating in the ‘Environment Club’. We learn
about animals and plants that are endangered, and the best ways to save the
planet. Pollution is a big problem. Last time, we designed and wore masks in a
procession that was carried out through the town to increase awareness about
the toxic air we inhale.
I’m Salma and I love my origami class. Origami is paper craft, which originated
in Japan. I love making birds, lanterns and flowers using square pieces of
coloured papers.
My name is Dolly and I, absolutely, love my after-school activity theatre. This
year, we are even writing the script of a play based on bullying problem in
schools. It’s such fun to brainstorm, and then, write down our ideas in the form
of a script. I love acting and being on stage.
I am Jason and am part of the Bharat Scouts and Guides. I love being
outdoors, camping and trekking together. Being a scout, we learn about
survival tactics, tying knots and leadership skills. I have been part of
the Bharat Scouts and Guides since I was 11 years old, and I think it
has changed me from being a shy boy to becoming a confident person.
This year, I am a ‘Troop Leader’, which means I plan the excursions
and treks.

Appendix 11
One of the finest bird parks in the world, the Keoladeo Ghana
National Park at Bharatpur, is a reserve that offers protection to
birds, animals and plant species.
In Bharatpur, you can see birds that are native to India, as well
as, migratory and water birds. Animals like sambar, chital, nilgai
and boar are also found here.
The name, Keoladeo, comes from an ancient Hindu temple devoted
to Lord Shiva that stands at the centre of the park. ‘Ghana’ means
dense, referring to the thick forest that covers the area.
In earlier times, Bharatpur town would get flooded every monsoon.
In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was constructed to save the
town from getting flooded. The depression created by digging out
soil for the dam became the Bharatpur Lake.
The Maharajas of Bharatpur used this forest and lake for hunting
ducks. Hunting was prohibited in the mid–1960s. The area was
declared a national park on 10 March 1982. Appendix 145
 Appendix 12
Announcement 1 : Air India announces the arrival of its flight IC 243
from London.
Announcement 2 : This is for the attention of passengers, travelling by
Turkish Airways flight THZ 367 from New Delhi to
Istanbul. The flight is ready for departure. Passengers
may proceed to gate number 12 for departure.
Announcement 3 : This is for the attention of passengers, travelling by Qatar
Airways flight QTR 914 from New Delhi to Doha. The flight
is ready for departure. Passengers may proceed to gate
number 5 for departure.
Announcement 4 : British Airways London announces the arrival of its flight
BA 246 from Manchester.
Announcement 5 : This is for the attention of passengers travelling by Indian
Airlines flight IC 157 from New Delhi to New York. The
flight is ready for departure. Passengers may proceed to
gate number 16 for departure.

Appendix 13
‘Popat’ is Tanya’s pet parrot. He can talk and whistle. At first, Tanya took care
of Popat. She cleaned his cage everyday. She gave him seeds to eat and water to
drink. Sometimes, she also gave him a green chilly. Popat, too, liked his home.
But now, Tanya does not look after Popat and the sad part is that the bird is
being kept in captivity.
Popat : Tanya hasn’t cleaned my cage for a week. She hasn’t filled
my dish with seeds. There’s no water for me to drink. I feel
so weak.
Popat calls out to Tanya.
Tweet, tweet!
But Tanya doesn’t listen to him.
I don’t want to be locked in this cage. I wish I were free like
otherbirds. I would, then, sit on the branches of trees and sing
songs. I would, then, find my own food and water.
Tanya’s mother : Tanya, why is Popat tweeting? Did you feed him today?
Tanya is afraid mother will scold her. So, she lies to her.
Tanya : Yes, mamma.
That evening, Tanya and her friend go out to play.
146 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X
Tanya’s mother : What’s wrong, Popat? You look very sad.
Popat : Tanya doesn’t clean my cage. She doesn’t give me anything
to eat or drink.
Tanya’s mother : What a bad girl Tanya is! I’ll open your cage, Popat. You
can fly away to your family and friends.
Tanya’s mother : Come out, Popat. What’s wrong?
Popat : I can’t fly. I feel so weak.
Tanya’s mother : Is that so? In the meantime, Tanya and her friend Ria come
back. Mother tells Tanya to set popat free.
Tanya’s mother opens Popat’s cage. Tanya fills Popat’s
plate with seeds and his cup with water. Popat eats the
seeds and drinks the water. He, then, flies away.
Tanya’s mother : This should be a lesson to you. Anyway, Popat will be free
and happy now.

Appendix 14
Note to the teacher

(i) Before children listen to the tape script, the teacher

needs to divide the class into groups of four.
(ii) Ask the children to look at the pictures carefully.
(iii) Ask them to talk about the pictures.
(iv) Ask questions like
What is the girl doing in picture 1?
Is she looking happy or angry?
Why is the man on the ground?
Why is the girl riding the jeep?
Where do you think she is?

Appendix 147
 Listening text
On the evening of 29 July 2001, Sambhavi, a 13-year old braveheart, fought a
gang of bag snatchers and helped the police arrest them.
The incident took place in Noida, where Sambhavi’s parents, Alka and
Sukhendu Ray, who are doctors, run a clinic. As Sambhavi and her mother
came out of the clinic, two men on a motorcycle tried to snatch her mother’s
purse. Sambhavi, who was alert, held on to the purse. As she pulled it towards
her, the pillion rider was thrown off-guard. He fell off the motorcycle. Hearing
their cries for help, passersby, rushed to help Sambhavi and her mother.
Seeing the crowd, the two men tried to run away but were overpowered by the
crowd, which handed them over to the police.
Shambhavi Ray of Noida received the National Bravery Award for Children on
the Republic Day in 2003.

Appendix 15
After years of dreaming about it and seven weeks of climbing, New Zealander
Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mt. Everest
on 29 May 1953.
Climbing Mt. Everest is extremely difficult and dangerous. Besides the freezing
weather, the threat of falling off the cliffs and slipping into deep cracks in the
mountain, the climbers suffer from what is often called ‘mountain sickness’.
The high altitude prevents the human body from supplying enough oxygen to
the brain. Any climber, who climbs above 8,000 feet, can suffer from mountain
sickness. And the higher a person climbs, the more severe the symptoms may
become. Most climbers of Mt. Everest suffer from headache, cloudiness of
thought, lack of sleep, loss of appetite and fatigue. To prevent acute symptoms
of altitude sickness, climbers, aiming to scale Mt. Everest, spend a lot of their
time slowly getting their bodies used to increasingly high altitudes. This is why,
it can take the climbers many weeks to climb Mt. Everest.
Moreover, not many creatures or plants can live in high altitudes.
For this reason, the climbers have to carry all their food and
supplies with them up the mountain. Hillary and Norgay, on their
way up the mountain, established nine camps, some of which are
used by the climbers even today.
When Hillary and Norgay reached the summit, they enjoyed only
15 minutes at the top of the world because of low air pressure, and
then, began making their way back down the mountain.

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 Appendix 16
A stamp appears just like a piece of paper that takes a letter from one town
or country to another. But a stamp collector draws immense pleasure in
collecting them.
To most, who are not interested in stamps, it may seem to be a waste of time, effort
and money. But they do not realise that it is a productive way of spending leisure
time. And what better occupation is there to keep oneself busy than collecting
stamps! All one needs is an album, a packet of hinges, a supply of stamps, and
the time passes swiftly and joyfully.
Stamp collection has no limit. Countries are always printing and issuing
new stamps to celebrate coronations, events, anniversaries and deaths. The
fascination of collecting stamps lies in trying to obtain them before one’s rivals.
Each stage of stamp collection has its own fascination — receiving letters from
distant places and countries, or discovering old stamps in the leaves of dusty
old books. A stamp itself has a fascination of its own. Gazing at its little picture,
one is transported to the wilds of the Congo, the homes of the Arabs and the
endless racks of the Sahara desert. There is a history behind every stamp.
The ancient Roman Empire, the Constitution of America, India’s Independence
and the Allied victory are all conveyed to our mind by means of stamps. We see
famous men — printers, writers, scientists, soldiers and politicians — and events.
Stamps, so small and minute, contain knowledge that is vast and important.

Appendix 17
When George Washington was about six years old, he was gifted a small hatchet.
Like most little boys, he too, was fond of it and went about cutting everything
that came his way.
One day, as he was wandering around his garden, he found a
beautiful young cherry tree. His father had planted the tree and
was fond of it. George tried the edge of his hatchet on the bark
of the tree. Ultimately, the cherry tree died. After sometime, his
father found out about what had happened to his favourite tree.
He came home angry and wanted to know the guilty. But nobody
could tell him anything.
Just then, George, with his little hatchet came into the room.
“George,” said his father, “do you know who killed my beautiful
little cherry tree in the garden?”

Appendix 149
 This was a difficult question for George to answer. He was silent for a moment.
But collecting himself quickly, he answered, “I cannot tell a lie, father. You
know I cannot tell a lie! I did cut it with my little hatchet.”
The anger on his father’s face died down and taking the boy tenderly in his
arms he said: “My son, that you should not be afraid to tell the truth means
more to me than a thousand trees!”

Appendix 18
The International Paralympic Games are the Olympics for athletes with physical
disabilities, who cannot compete in the regular International Olympic Games.
The Paralympic Games are held every four years, just like the Olympic Games.
They are, usually, held in the same city and country as the Olympics. Athletes,
who compete in the Paralympic Games, are divided into categories according
to their disabilities.
The word ‘paralympic’ comes from the Latin word ‘para’, which means ‘with’,
and ‘lympic’ refers to the ‘Olympic Games’. Sir Ludwig Guttmann’s idea to
hold these Games did not start out as the International Paralympic Games.
Guttmann was an English neurosurgeon. He organised a competition in the
United Kingdom for the World War–II soldiers with spinal injuries in the year
1948 as he believed that sport was good for both self-confidence and healing.
This event was successful and by 1960 it had evolved to an Olympic-style
Games with participants from all over the world.
The Paralympics has grown from 23 nations and 400 athletes with disabilities
in 1960 to thousands of competitiors from more than 100 countries. Mostly
wheelchair-bound athletes participated in the first few Paralympic Games. With
time, athletes with different disabilities also started competing in the Games.
Indian champions made the country proud with their splendid display
of sportsmanship in the 2016 Paralympic Games held in Rio. Devendra
Jhajharia won a gold medal in men’s javelin throw, Mariyappan
Thangavelu won a gold in men’s high jump T42, Deepa Malik won a silver
in Women’s F53 shot put and Varun Singh Bhati won a bronze in men’s
high jump T42.

150 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 19
Rosa Parks was an extraordinary woman because she stood
against racism, especially, at a time when things were difficult
for women. She had always dreamt of having freedom in life. It
was her experiences that gave her courage and strength.
One day, Rosa got on a bus, put her money into the slot and
sat in the front. During those days, blacks were supposed to sit
on the back seats of the bus. The bus driver told her to move to
the back but she refused. The driver called the police and got
her arrested.
The next day, her husband, Raymond Parks, went to pick up
Rosa from jail. When they got home, Rosa spoke about her
time in jail. She had to stand in queue to get water and the
jail guard told her that the drinking fountain was only for the
white people. This made her furious.
On 5 December 1955, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and
JoAnn Robinson saw black people standing in street corners
around the city and watching the yellow buses pass by but none
of them boarded the buses. There were hardly any black riders
in the buses ever since Rosa’s arrest. It was a miracle. People
had stopped riding in the buses because of Rosa.
Soon, the police were informed about people standing in streets,
watching the buses drive by. The police patrolled the streets to
make sure that black people did not bother the bus riders. The
black people continued their boycott and it was a success.
A few months later, Rosa again started boarding the buses. She
stopped when she noticed a signboard that read, “People, don’t
ride the bus today. Don’t ride the bus for freedom.” She got off.
Finally, the rules for riding buses were changed. The new rules
ensured equality for the blacks.

Appendix 20
‘Departure of the Comet’ by Mark Twain
The comet will leave New York at 10 p.m. on the 20th inst. and, therefore, it will
be desirable that the passengers be aboard latest by 8 p.m. to avoid confusion
in getting underway. It is not known whether passports will be necessary or
not but it is deemed best that the passengers provide them, and so guard
against all contingencies. No dogs will be allowed on board. The safety of the
passengers will in all ways be zealously looked into. An iron railing will be

Appendix 151
 put up all around the comet and no one will be allowed to go to the edge and
look over.
We shall hope to leave a good impression of America behind us in every nation
we visit, from Venus to Uranus. And, at all events, if we cannot inspire love, we
shall, at least, compel respect for our country wherever we go.
We shall take with us, free of charge, a great force of missionaries and shed
true light upon all celestial orbs, which physically aglow, are yet morally in
darkness. Sunday schools will be established wherever practicable. Compulsory
education will also be introduced.
The comet will visit Mars first, and then, proceed to Mercury, Jupiter, Venus
and Saturn. Every star of prominent magnitude will be visited and time allowed
for excursions to points of interest inland.
The Dog Star has been stricken from the program. Much time will be spent in
the Great Bear and in every constellation of importance. So also with the Sun
and Moon and the Milky Way. Clothing suitable for wear in the Sun would be
provided. Our program has been so arranged that we shall seldom go more than
100,000,000 miles at a time, without stopping at some star. This will necessarily
make the stoppages frequent and preserve the interest of the tourists. Parties
desiring to make only a part of the proposed tour, and thus, save expense, may
stop over at any star they choose and wait for the return voyage.
The entire voyage will be completed, and the passengers would land in
New York on the 14th of December, 1991. This would be, at least, 40 years
quicker than any other comet can do it in. Every harmless amusement will be
allowed on board but no pools will be permitted on the run of the comet — no
gambling of any kind shall be permitted too.

Appendix 21
Speaker 1 : We had been invited for this exclusive event at Nishu Gardens
on the third of August. Amit bought a pretty dress for his little
niece for one hundred rupees. It was an exciting sale. During the
sale, many customers gave their bid for this fabulous dress. The
money will be donated for animal welfare.
Speaker 2 : Yes, I know about it. Sheena bought a pretty hat for two hundred
rupees. She said this amount would be used for children’s
education. I think it’s really nice to be helping people who are not
so fortunate. Moreover, it would really match her new dress!
Speaker 3 : Anil bought a lamp. He said he studied late at night. It would be
of help to him, especially, during exams. It didn’t cost him much.
Only five hundered rupees! What better way than this for helping
the physically challenged!

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Speaker 4 : My sister, Renu, bought a carton of books for one thousand
rupees. They are all wonderful books, including an encyclopedia.
She loves books. This money will go towards planting more trees
in our neighbourhood. Interestingly, Renu loves reading under a
tree in her garden.

Appendix 22
1. Hello! My name is Samson. I’m looking for a pen pal. I’m
13 years old and live in London, England. I’m a friendly
boy. I love cricket and can play all day. But I would
never ignore my studies. I want to do well in life. So, I
work hard and am regular. I like to collect stamps as a
hobby. I have stamps that date back to centuries. My
teachers say I’m a hardworking student. Write to me at
PO Box 678 543.
2. Hi! My name is Rima Sen and I’m from Kolkata, India. I live
with my family near the sea. Since I have always lived here,
I love water sports. I am 14 years old and love reading about
plants and animals that live in the sea. I’m sure I’ll make a
brilliant marine engineer. I have thought about my career and
have already started working towards it. My PO Box number
is 002 200.
3. Hello. I’m a 12-year old Russian school student, Leo Pavlov. I live with my
family in St. Petersburg. I love making friends and learning about their
culture. I have a lot of friends at school, and we like playing basketball and
eating out. If I had my way, I would only be travelling all the time. I love
playing computer games and doing carpentry. Please write to me at PO Box
number 001 001.
4. I am a 13-year old girl, Mynna Akyal. I live in Izmir, Turkey. I love
travelling and reading. I have been working to conserve the environment.
In fact, I have started a group and save all my pocket money to
promote this cause. I am also fond of music and play the guitar and
sing. I would love to visit different countries. My PO Box number
is 765 489.
5. Hi! I’m Jana Papesch. I’m 12 years old and I am from Warsaw, the
capital of Poland. I’m a student, who loves to watch movies. I’m a debater
and dramatist. I also like surfing the Internet. You will find me at
PO Box number 005 500.

Appendix 153
 Appendix 23
I love trees because they are an important part of the environment. They make
life possible on this planet. I like the trees’ glorious display of colours.
I love trees because they have different shades of green, so many that it is
almost impossible to count. When I paint a picture of a tree, I use many shades
of green and even more shades of brown. My favourite thing about trees is that
they always seem to glow.
Trees always smell so fresh and clean. That’s why I like to go to
nurseries. It is so refreshing that it feels like a glass of cold water
on a hot day or a damp cloth on hot forehead.

I love planting trees. I dig the soil and place the trees in the
ground, making sure not to disturb the roots, which act as their
support. I water the trees for they will grow.
One of my favourite things about trees is that they are fun to climb.
I started climbing trees when I was young. My dad taught me how

to climb. I, especially, like to climb my grandpa’s apple tree. I love to wind

through the branches and climb to a board that has been placed there. Once
up, I like to think and relax, or read a book that I bring along. It is fun to let
my imagination fly while munching apples.
Trees make life possible on earth as they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale
oxygen, making it possible for us to breathe clean air. If we cut trees, the
result will be fatal. We are already facing global warming, Soon, there will be
lack of oxygen and we will definitely not have any timber or paper.
Trees are important to the environment. The beauty of trees makes me feel
calm and peaceful.

Appendix 24
Hola! I’m Andre. I’m going to tell you about four of my favourite festivals that
we celebrate in my country, Spain.
1. I enjoy ‘La Tomatina’ the most and make sure that I keep myself free
on the last Wednesday of August. It’s a fun festival that is celebrated
in Bunol, an hour’s drive from Valencia. You can perhaps guess from
its name that it’s a tomato festival. People hurl tomatoes at each other,
making sure that they squash them before throwing so that no one gets
hurt. An after-party attracts people as they dance to thumping music. My
friends and I go in large groups every year to have fun.

154 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 2. Another unique festival is ‘Tarragona’, which means human castles. It is
celebrated in Tarragona city between June and September. It celebrates
the tradition of castles and involves people creating human towers up to
a height of 6–10 tiers. It is exciting because you don’t just have to be a
spectator but can learn how to build the towers and be a part of it. It took
me few days to learn the skill.
3. I also like ‘Cardoba Patios’ festival, which is celebrated in the courtyards
of the old town of Cardoba in the second week of May. Residents of
this town proudly present their courtyards decorated with pots of
geraniums, carnations, orange blossoms and jasmines hanging from
whitewashed walls. You can imagine how the town not only looks
beautiful with all the flowers but also their fragrance, and sounds of
flamenco filling the streets. Next time, I will plan to visit the town with
my family and not alone.
4. ‘Feria de Abril’ is celebrated two weeks after the Holy Week in Sville,
Andalusia. The music, food and dance create a festive atmosphere as
people dress up in traditional Andalusian costumes. Luckily, I managed
to arrange a traditional costume for myself. More than a thousand
‘casetas’ or tents are installed in the fair ground area, where people come
together to have fun and share their experiences. For me, the best part
was the spectacular display of fireworks at midnight on Sunday, after a
week-long festival as part of the grand finale.

Appendix 25
E. B. White was born in New York in 1899. He graduated from Cornell University
in 1921. He tried different sort of jobs for five to six years but it is when he joined
the New Yorker Magazine that he felt truly happy. He wrote many sketches,
poems, essays and editorials while working for the magazine.
Few years later, he moved to the countryside. He kept animals on his farm. He
spent a lot of time on the farm but continued writing. Some of these creatures
crept into his stories and books for children, especially, because he was familiar
with the feel of a farmyard and interaction with animals. He received many
awards and medals for his contribution to children’s literature. He wrote
Charlotte’s Web as a way of exploring the enduring puzzle of farming that taking
care of sick animals is important emotionally. Although Charlotte’s Web was
written more than 60 years ago, its message of hope and regeneration remains
pertinent even today.

Appendix 155
 Appendix 26
Listening text
Madhur’s shop sold food. Madhur and Jai, a young man, worked there. A man
came to the shop on Monday. He was a funny man. Madhur was in his office
behind the shop. The man looked at Jai and said, “I want a small table, please.”
Jai said, “We don’t sell tables in this shop. We sell food.” The man smiled
and answered, “A small, brown table!” He took out a picture from his bag and
showed it to Jai. It was a picture of a small brown table.
Jai come close to the man and said in his ear, “We don’t have tables in this
shop. Food! Not tables!” The man smiled and answered, “That’s good! Thank
you!” Then, he sat down on a chair and waited. Jai was not happy. He went to
Madhur’s office and spoke to him. Then, he and Madhur came out together.
Madhur was angry. He looked at the man and said, “What do you want?” The
man smiled and answered, “I want a loaf of brown bread, please. Haven’t you
got any bread in your shop?” Madhur said, “Yes, yes! We have.” He looked at
Jai crossly, and then, went and got a loaf of brown bread from a big box and
gave it to the man. The man chuckled and winked at Jai.

Speaking text

Customer : Hi! may I have a bottle of milk, please?

Shopkeeper : Yes, sir. What will you have, toned or full cream?
Customer : I’ll have a bottle of full cream milk. Please, check the expiry
date on the bottle. The last time I bought one from your shop,
it was spoilt.
Shopkeeper : Oh! Sorry to hear that, sir! We, normally, get a fresh supply
every day. I am really sorry.
Customer : That’s alright. Please check the date of manufacturing and
expiry on the bottle carefully.
Shopkeeper : Yes, sir. We’ll be careful...er...Sir, please accept a bottle of milk
as a compensation for our mistake. I apologise.
Customer : Thank you!
Shopkeeper : Sir, here’s your bottle of full cream milk and this bottle is a
token of our gratitude to you.
Customer : Thank you! But please allow me to pay for this bottle. How
much will that be?
Shopkeeper : It is seventy-five rupees, sir.

156 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 27
Vetal was a ghost. A long time ago, he lived in an old mansion that was an
ice cream factory. The mansion was deserted by the owners because some
mysterious noises were heard in the dead of night. Not only did it scare away
the owners but also led to the death of Himmatwali, the owner’s wife.
Vetal wished some friendly people to live in that house. He had a reason for the
wish. Unlike other ghosts, he was fond of eating. Vetal was fond of ice creams.
He wished people to come and live in that deserted house so that he could have
access to their kitchen. “Well, happy and friendly people are, generally, fond of
eating,” he thought.
You would be curious to know how he became addicted to ice creams. When
alive, Vetal never had the opportunity to have an ice cream because every time
he had anything cold, he fell ill. So, his mother did not allow him to eat an
ice cream.
Vetal died under mysterious circumstances. It was terribly hot on the day of
his funeral. People, who attended his funeral, constantly kept looking at their
watches. Suddenly, they noticed heavy fumes rising from an ice cream factory.
The fumes were heavy and formed a canopy over the funeral gathering. Then,
there was a loud thunder. And what happened next had never happened in the
history of Kwalikhi district. It rained ice cream!
Vetal had his first taste of vanilla ice cream after death. People saw a ghostly
figure rising from the body and become one with the clouds.
That was the birth of Vetal, the ghost.

Appendix 28
Warm-up
My best friend has a square face.
He has one big eye in the centre of the face.
He has two noses above the eye.
There is a big mouth, just below the eye.
He has a big left ear, just like an elephant’s.
His right ear is as tiny as a rat’s.
Oh! I must tell you that my best friend has a triangular body.
He has four hands and four legs.

Appendix 157
 He has no hair on his head.
But there is an antenna on his head.
His name is Toby and he is from the planet Mars.

Listening text

Anil : Hi, Toby! Do you miss your planet?

Toby : Very much, Anil! I miss my people and home.
Anil : Oh! I wish I could do something about it! But I am happy to
have you as my friend.
Toby : Thank you, Anil!
Anil : Er...could you tell me something more about yourself?
Toby : Why not! What do you want to know about me, Anil?
Anil : What do you eat for breakfast?
Toby : Well, we Martians don’t need to eat anything. We get our energy
from the Sun.
Anil : Oh! Don’t you ever feel like having ice creams and chocolates?
I can’t think of life without them!
Toby : No, Anil! We are made of different stuff.
Anil : Okay, tell me one thing. How are you able to see with only one eye?
I see only one big eye in the centre of your face.
Toby : My friend, we Martians need only one eye to see clearly. In fact, I
can see even with my eye closed. I can see beyond mountains and
clouds, wood and even metals. I can see that you are carrying a
toy in your pocket. It’s a blue aeroplane. Isn’t it? And yes! That
apple you just had for breakfast is going round-and-round in your
stomach right now.
Anil almost fainted!

Appendix 29
Meena : Hello!
Mohan : Hello! Alpha digital Centre.
Meena : May I speak with Mira, please?
Mohan : May I know your name? I’ll connect you with her.

158 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Meena : I am Meena…Meena Rathor.
Mohan : Sorry, ma’am! Mira is not on her desk. May I help you?
Meena : Actually, I had spoken with her yesterday and she had asked
me to call.
Mohan : If you have a problem with your Alpha phone, you can tell
me, ma’am.
Meena : Okay...You see I bought this Alpha phone from your outlet just
a week ago and it’s already giving me problems. It doesn’t dial
number 4 and I end up calling wrong numbers.
Mohan : Ma’am, there seems to be a problem with the touchpad of your
phone. But don’t worry. That can be sorted.
Meena : How? I am really disappointed with your company’s
performance.
Mohan : Ma’am, we’ll replace the phone with a new one. Can you please
come to our office before five o’clock today or some other day,
except on sundays, with the purchase receipt?
Meena : That would be fine. I’ll be there. Thanks!
Mohan : You’re welcome, ma’am! Is there anything else I can do?
Meena : No, thanks!

Appendix 30
Student A : Hello! There is something interesting that I would like to
share with you.
Student B : Sure! Tell me about it.
Student A : Yesterday, I went to Rangeela district to watch a
kabaddi match.
Student B : Wow! That sounds exciting! Who were the team players?
Student A : Well, the match was between Kaseela and Rangeela districts.
Student B : I see! I missed it! Which team did you support?
Student A : My all time favourite — Team Rangeela.
Student B : That’s great! Who won the match?
Student A : Rangeela won by 10 points but…
Student B : But what…what happened?
Student A : Just when Suman was about to touch the white line, she
tripped and fell.

Appendix 159
 Student B : Oh no! Then, what happened?
Student A : She fractured her foot and couldn’t continue, so then, they
pooled me in as a substitute.
Student B : How exciting…er…I mean, how is Suman now? I hope she
didn’t have a serious injury.
Student A : No, she’s fine. But guess what! They still won the match!

Appendix 31
Listening text

Once upon a time, there were three billy goats, who were to go up to a
hillside to make themselves fat. All three were called ‘Gruff’.
On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream that they had to cross,
and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll, with eyes as big as saucers,
and a nose as long as a poker.
So, first of all came the youngest billy goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
‘Trip-trap, trip-trap...’ went the bridge.
“Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it’s me, the tiniest billy goat Gruff. I’m going up to the hillside to make
myself fat,” it said in feeble voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll.
“Oh, no! I pray don’t take me. I’m too little, that I am…,” said the tiniest billy
goat. “Wait a bit till the second billy goat Gruff comes. He’s much bigger,”
it added.”
“Well, be off with you,” said the troll.
A little later, the second billy goat Gruff came to cross the bridge.
‘Trip-trap, trip-trap...’, the bridge went again.
“Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it’s the second billy goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hillside to make
myself fat,” said the second billy goat, who didn’t have such a feeble voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll.
“Oh, no! please don’t take me. Wait a little till the biggest billy goat Gruff
comes. He’s much bigger than me,” it said.
“Very well! Be off with you,” said the troll.
Just then came the biggest billy goat Gruff.

160 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

‘Trip-trap, trip-trap...! went the bridge, one more time for the billy goat was so
heavy that the bridge creaked as it walked.
“Who’s that tramping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“It’s me! The biggest billy goat Gruff,” said the billy goat, who had a ugly
hoarse voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up,” roared the troll.
“Well, come along! I’ve got two spears and I’ll beat you up,” said the biggest
billy goat Gruff.
It, then, flew at the troll and went up to the hillside. It beat up the troll and
asked it to go away. Now, the three billy goats can eat as much fresh green
grass as they want, and can trip-trap and cross the bridge whenever
they like.

Speaking text
Note to the teacher
Tell students that some words qualify nouns. They are known as ‘qualifiers’,
which are adjectives. Now, prepare cards by writing the following phrases
—  good teacher, bad music, successful event, birthday party, boring speech,
great movie, beautiful gift, rude person, wonderful friend, smart technology,
etc., and instruct the students about how to play the game as instructed in
the activity.

Appendix 32
Collecting and carrying water is an everyday affiar in rural India. Farmers,
primarily, use water for agriculture purposes. It is also used for carrying out
various household chores. The domestic uses include cooking and cleaning,
where uncontaminated water is a necessity. In addition, water is required for
maintaining sanitary conditions in homes and surrounding areas.
A villager, sometimes, takes upto six trips a day transporting water from the
water source to one’s home. These walks in rural areas can on an average be
10 miles a day, wherein, one person carries upto 15 litres of water per trip.
People carry water in jars, pitchers and buckets on their heads. The load on
their heads, added to the long distance from the water sources to their homes,
lead to back, feet and posture related problems in them. The heat increases
their exhaustion and this work alone takes away most of the time, which could
otherwise be utilised in other works. It is a huge loss of workforce as the
villagers are compelled to spend most of their day fetching and transporting
water. As a result, they are unable to make an income and take appropriate
care of their children. Besides, the children are unable to get continuous and
unhindered education.
Appendix 161
 Appendix 33
Although India may become a water scarce country in few years due to
demand–supply mismatch, the water sector is expected to see an investment of
$13 billion from overseas players in the next few years, many studies have said.
Experts working in the water sector observe that with increasing household
income and increasing contributions from the service and industrial sectors,
water demand in the domestic and industrial sectors is increasing substantially.
Nearly 70 per cent of the country’s irrigation and 80 per cent of the domestic
water needs are met from groundwater, which is depleting rapidly.
However, overseas players from Canada, Israel, Germany, Italy, the USA,
China and Belgium see investment opportunity worth billions in the domestic
water sector. The country provides huge opportunities across the spectrum in
infrastructure development for water supply and wastewater management.
The industrial market, in the near future, is going to have major
opportunities with growth in wastewater recycling and industrial
water treatment. Maharashtra is emerging as a hub for the water
sector. Many international companies have already set up design and
engineering centres for wastewater recycling and management in Mumbai
and Pune.

Appendix 34
Warm-up
1
B
A. Answers
O

I
2
W L
3 4
P L A Y R

T E

5
C L E A N

6
W A S H D

162 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

Listening text
In Pune, 7,000 schoolchildren have been empowered to conserve water. What
they do is simple. They collect water left in their bottles in a large drum put up
on the school campus after school hours. This water is used for watering plants
and lawns, and cleaning the school premises.
Two years ago, one school in the city faced water shortage. It had no water
to mop and flush, forget watering the plants and lawn. The garden had also
dried up. A limited budget restricted it from availing water tankers on a regular
basis. The school administration thought of a plan. It estimated that children
would have about 150 millilitres of water left in their bottles at the end of the
day. Collecting water instead of wasting it made sense. This way, 300–400
litres of water would be saved every day.
At the end of the day, the students were encouraged to pour all water left in
their bottles into the drum. Every child had to do this without fail before leaving
the school. A student squad would keep a watch on leaking taps all day. There
are about 20 student volunteers in the squad from Classes V–IX. They check
the taps for leakage in the morning, before and after recess and at end of the
day, and report to the authorities concerned immediately.

Appendix 35
On a scale of 1 to 5, to what extent do you…
1. have trouble in spelling words?
2. have trouble getting to the point in a conversation?
3. speak too loudly or softly?
4. speak slowly and use a lot of filler phrases like uh, you know, etc.?
5. leave out words while reading?
6. pronounce words the wrong way?
7. have messy handwriting with lots of cross-outs?
8. get confused in letters and numbers that look similar?
9. write in a disorganised way?
10. have trouble paying attention at work or in other situations?
11. have difficulty in following instructions or finishing workplace tasks?
12. make careless mistakes?
13. lose things often?
14. get distracted easily?
15. struggle to pick up on other people’s moods and feelings?

Appendix 163
 16. have difficulty in understanding charts?
17. under or over estimate how much time has passed?
18. struggle with directions?
19. get confused between right and left?
20. struggle with understanding what you read?

Appendix 36
Warm-up
1.
F
Answers
O

2.
H T

O B

3. 4.
C B A S K E T B A L L

K L A

5.
B A S E B A L L B

Y A

6.
C R I C K E T

Listening text
Kabaddi is a combative sport, with seven players on each side, played for a
period of 40 minutes with a break of five minutes (20–5–20). The core idea of
the game is to score points by raiding into the opponent’s court and touching
as many defence players as possible without getting caught and repeating the
word ‘kabaddi’ in a single breath. One player from the raiding team, chanting
‘kabaddi! kabaddi! kabaddi!...’ charges into the opponent’s court and tries to

164 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

touch the closest opponent, while the seven opponents try to catch the ‘raider’.
Kabaddi, a match of one against seven, is also known as ‘the game of struggle’.
The players on the defensive side are called ‘antis’, while those of the offensive
are called ‘raiders’. An attack in kabaddi is known as a ‘raid’. The antis touched
by the raider during the attack are declared ‘out’, if they fail to catch the raider
before the person returns to one’s home court. The players of a team get a dan
only when the team scores a point against the opponents during their raiding
turn, or if the remaining players succeed in catching the opponent’s raider.
The origin of the game dates back to pre–historic times played in different
forms. The modern kabaddi game is played all over India and in some parts of
South Asia. The first known framework of rules for kabaddi as an indigenous
sport of India was prepared in Maharashtra in the year 1921. A committee
was constituted in the year 1923, which amended the rules framed in 1921.
The amended rules were brought into practice during the All India Kabaddi
Tournament held in 1923.
The Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation (AAKF) was formed in the year 1978.
The first Asian Kabaddi Championship was held in 1980 and was included as
a demonstration game in the 9th Asian Games, New Delhi, in the year 1982.
It was included in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in the year 1984
in Dacca, Bangladesh. Kabaddi was included as a regular sport in the 11th
Beijing Asian Games.
The International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) was formed during the first Kabaddi
World Cup held in 2004 in Mumbai, India. India won the First World Cup by
beating Iran in the finals. The First Asian Women Championship was held
in Hyderabad in 2005 and India won the Gold medal. Women kabaddi was
included for the first time in the South Asian Games held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka, in 2006. The Second World Cup was held at Panvel in India in 2007.

Appendix 37
A 14-year old boy’s academic performance has seen a steep decline
in recent months. The boy’s parents blame his obsession with
social media sites for his low grades. There is yet another older
teenager, who locks himself up in his room at night and spends
hours chatting with friends on a smartphone. The first thing he
does after getting up in the morning is going online and checking
the messages. He becomes restless and irritated if there is a glitch
with the Wi-Fi or 4G network, his parent shared.
Doctors point out that Internet addiction can lead to a drop in grades and
increased aggression among children, especially, teenagers. But getting a child
to accept this is difficult. Most of them would flatly refuse. So, a sample of

Appendix 165
 randomly selected children was given a questionnaire. They were asked indirect
questions, such as time spent on the mobile phone and the number of social
networking sites they had an account on. The answers were shocking. Even
fifth graders have access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Hike messengers and several
other chat groups. They have multiple games installed on their phones.
In many cases, Internet addiction leads to insomnia, depression and social
withdrawal, which is a cause of concern.

Appendix 38
Warm-up
Dear parents
My son, who is eight years old, prefers spending time watching TV rather than
reading books. I realised very late in life the profound impact books can have
on shaping one’s life. I believe if we cultivate reading habit among children
early in life, then it will be useful for them in future. I have not been able to
motivate my son to develop the habit. He does not pay heed to my advice.
I need guidance from experienced parents like you so that I am able to develop
reading interest in my school-going son.
Thank you
Bhaumik

Listening text
Dear Bhaumik
Try disconnecting cable TV services in your house for 10 days. When a child
has a lot of free time and doesn’t have anything much to do, the child may
automatically get interested in books. You know, you just need to develop the
habit. Once it is cultivated, your son would get addicted to it, and then, you
may have to stop him from reading. Believe me, it can really happen!
Don’t go and buy books for your son yourself. Take him along and buy the
books he wants.
Also don’t keep on pressurising your son to read a book. Don’t buy too many
books at a time. This will irritate him. Buy only one or two.
Take a book, sit with him and read it out to him. Stop reading when he gets too
involved in the story and ask him to continue himself.

166 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

Please make sure that you don’t buy books beyond his reading level and age.
Buy some books meant for ‘light reading’, for example Baal Hanuman. You
could also try buying comics, Panchtantra stories, etc. Children love comics.
On NCERT’s website, you can find a list of storybooks that children would
enjoy reading. You can choose a book, with respect to the age and reading level
of the child, subject, etc.
That’s all for now. Wish you luck with your efforts.
Thank you
ABC

Appendix 39
People with severe obesity often report of an underlying drive to eat continuously
because their brain’s reward centres continue to respond to food cues even
after they have eaten and are no longer hungry, a study says.
Findings of the study show that obese participants maintain activation in the
midbrain, one of the body’s most potent reward centres.
Activity in the pre-frontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex changed
significantly in the lean group after eating but not in the obese group. However,
this brain activity dropped among the lean participants, while it continued in
their obese counterparts.
Before or after a meal, people with obesity are, usually, excited about eating. It
seems they have an instinctive drive to keep eating. Further, while the appeal
of pictured food dropped by 15 per cent for lean people after they ate, severely
obese people showed only a 4 per cent decline.
Lean people, when full, either stopped eating or just sampled a food item they
craved for. It is just not a level playing field. It is harder for some people to
maintain a healthy weight than others.
For the study, the team compared attitudes and brain activity of 15 severely
obese people [those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 35] and 15 lean
people (those with a BMI of less than 25). Their brain activity was measured
using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI).
After fasting for nine hours, they were asked to rate their level of hunger or
fullness, and then, given a brain scan as they viewed pictures of food.

Appendix 167
 Appendix 40
Tell your children you love them. They always love hearing that.
Stop trying to mould your children into what you want them to become.
Instead, accept them as they are.
Always listen to what your children say with interest. Never ask them to
‘shut up’ while they narrate an incident.
Let your children know that everyone is blessed with different talents and
that they would also discover their’s one day.
Your children need to know that perfection is not in the way one looks.
But it lies in the way one utilises and polishes one’s talents.
Teach your children to focus on and develop their strengths.
Teach them to love and respect others.
Children feel positive and loved when they know that their parents are there
for them. Do not snub your children, saying you are busy.
Be polite with your children.
Allow your children to take simple decisions and guide them through it.
Give them space and respect their decisions.
Teach your children that nothing is prefect. Make them understand that
mistakes and failure are part of life.
Always give credit to them for their efforts, for it will lead them to pursue
bigger things in life.

Appendix 41
‘Apartheid’ was a system of racial discrimination unique to South Africa, imposed
by the white Europeans. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
trading companies from Europe occupied the country using arms and force,
just like they had occupied India. But unlike India, a large number of ‘whites’
had settled in South Africa and become local rulers. The system of public toilets
was separate for the whites and blacks. This was called ‘segregation’. They could
not even visit the churches, where the whites worshipped. Blacks could not
form associations or protest against the terrible treatment meted out to them.
Since 1950s, the blacks, coloured and Indians fought against the apartheid
system. They launched protest marches and strikes. The African National
Congress (ANC) was the umbrella organisation that led the struggle against the
policies of segregation. Many sensitive whites also joined the ANC to oppose the
apartheid system and played prominent roles in this struggle. Several countries
denounced apartheid as unjust and racist. Finally, this practice came to end.

168 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 42
Warm-up
B. Cooking verbs answers 1.
B

2.
G K

3.
A S A U T E

4.
R O A S T

5.
N E P
6.
I G R A T E

S M E

H L

Listening text

The ingredients required for making dhokla are as follows.

Gram flour (besan) sieved 2 cups
Yogurt (beaten) 1 cup
Salt To taste
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli and ginger paste 1 teaspoon
Oil 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Soda bicarbonate 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Scraped coconut 1/2 cup
Water 1 cup
Coriander leaves (chopped) 1/2 cup

Appendix 169
 Method

Take two cups of gram flour in a bowl. Add one cup of yogurt and one cup
of warm water, and mix. Avoid lumps. Add salt to taste and mix again.
Leave it aside to ferment for three to four hours. When the gram flour
mixture has fermented, add turmeric powder and green chilli and ginger
paste to it. Heat the steamer. Grease a thali with oil.
In a small bowl, take lemon juice, soda bicarbonate, one teaspoon of
oil and mix. Add it to the batter and whisk briskly. Pour the batter into
the greased thali and place it in the steamer.
Cover it with a lid and steam for 10 minutes. When it becomes cool, cut
it into square pieces. Keep the dhokla pieces in a serving bowl or plate.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds start
crackling, remove it from the flame and pour it over the dhokla.
Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut, and serve.

Appendix 43
‘The Dilemma of Every Student Ever’
Okay! So now, I have, finally, realised that not all subjects give me a headache.
Let’s narrow it down even more to the subjects that do give me a headache.
There are only certain chapters, which I find pointless. I am giving my opinion.
History : Why are we being taught about long gone kings? I don’t see the
reason to remember the dates and years. What’s important is their
contribution.
Physics : I love reading about friction and gravity. The whole subject is
based on assumption and estimation. I want to learn about
everyday physics.
Biology : You teach me my body’s working and structure. That’s fine! You
teach me about the diseases that affect me and the cures. That’s
fantastic! But what is the point of teaching me the anatomy of a
frog or cockroach, and I am sure, I am never going to go near them
at all.
Maths : What boggles me are the x’s and y’s, and all the roots and squares.
There is only a single chapter that deals with real everyday maths
and I enjoy that. Will the rest ever help me?
Well, I can go on and on about the cons of the subjects but my thumbs have
started aching typing constantly on my phone now. So, for now bye!

170 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 44
Traditional potters live and work in almost every part of India. Pottery is a
specialised profession, and often, the community lives together in a separate
area of a village or town. A potter has the skill to make pots for different uses
— from large storage jars for grains and water, to tiny earthen lamps for Diwali.
The potter can design toys and sculpt giant figurines for worship as well. To
make giant figures, artists have evolved various techniques. One of them is to
make each piece of the figure on the potter’s wheel. This is to prevent the clay
figurine from breaking when it is fired in the kiln. When clay is fired in the kiln,
it contracts considerably due to the loss of water and moisture.
A solid model made of ordinary clay would burst under the pressure of the
kiln’s heat. A sculpture with uneven wall thickness would warp and crack.
Therefore, using the potter’s skill in creating parts of the figure, in which the
walls are of even thickness is a unique way of overcoming this problem. These
individual pieces are, then, assembled by the potter to create the required form.
This unusual process involves the imaginative use of material. A great deal of
inventiveness goes into making the form both technically sound, as well as,
aesthetically satisfying. Some of these figures are two-metre high and their
towering presence only adds to the genius of the village potter. The potters
make these figures for their patrons for money or food.
During Durga Puja in West Bengal, huge figures of the Goddess are made.
Artists use different techniques and mixtures of natural material to make these
statues. They follow the traditional practice to form the basic structure with
local grasses bound together to form the legs, arms and head. The grasses are
often swathed with thin cotton cloth. Then, layer-upon-layer, clay is carefully
applied to the statue to gradually build it up. Over a period of several days,
each layer is allowed to dry completely so that no cracks appear and there
is no warping. Once dry, the statue is painted with natural mineral colours.
After this, it is dressed in a sari and adorned with ornaments made of paper
or artificial jewellery, and flower garlands, before it is made ready for worship.

Appendix 45
In Chhattisgarh, rice is more than a staple food. It is an important part of
the State’s cultural heritage. Many traditional varieties of paddy have already
been identified and efforts are underway to develop more varieties. Agricultural
scientists believe that after the Philippines, India has the largest number of
paddy varieties in the world.
India ranks No. 1 in the world in terms of biodiversity. There are around 34
biodiversity sites across the globe, four of which are in India alone. One of
these biodiversity sites is located in Chhattisgarh. The rice produced in the
Appendix 171
 State is rich in minerals, vitamins and protein. With new varieties being
discovered almost every day, the State promises not only food security but
also nutritional security in a wider sense of term. The rice varieties produced
in Chhattisgarh also have therapeutic properties, especially, for those having
diabetes problem.
Chhattisgarh is emerging with a new identity in the field of biodiversity
conservation, especially, related to paddy varieties. There are some rice
varieties whose grains are even tinier than cardamom seeds. A unique rice
that has been discovered here is Pakshiraj, whose grain looks like a bird in
flight. Another variety is Kheragul. It is the smallest in size and among the
most aromatic of all varieties, though it does not look like rice.
Only few rice varieties have been identified so far, including Vishnubhog,
Dubraj and Badshah Bhog. Many more varieties are yet to be discovered.
Paddy has 62 traits that distinguish each variety. These include size and
shape of leaves, aroma and crop duration.
Farmers and scientists are working together to further enrich this diversity.
They hope that these traditional and new varieties of paddy would one day
become popular across India and also in other parts of the world.

Appendix 46
Warm-up
Answers
1. Sightseeing 2. Trekking 3. Sunbathing 4. Dining
5. Water sports 6. Bird watching 7. Pilgrimage 8. Shopping

Listening text
Tourism in India has seen an exponential growth over the last three decades.
Foreign tourists’ arrival in the country witnessed a substantial increase
during the year 2017 as against 2016, contributing `64,889 crore of foreign
exchange. More than 15 million people are directly engaged in the tourism
industry. Tourism also promotes national integration, provides support to local
handicrafts and helps boost cultural pursuits. It helps in the development
of international understanding about our culture and heritage. Foreigners
visit India for ecotourism, heritage, adventure, cultural, medical and
business tourism.
There is a vast potential for the development of tourism in all parts of the
country. Efforts are being made to promote different types of tourism.

172 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 47
‘Tame the Bully within’
A bully can manifest in different avatars. Some can appear like (anti)
super heroes, flexing their muscles to intimidate their victims. Others engage
in verbal abuse, belittling another’s speech, mannerisms or lifestyle choices.
Their presence can cast dark shadows, haunting their victims, sometimes,
traumatising them for years after they leave the classroom. Today, a bully can
cloak himself or herself in an armour of cyberspace invisibility, giving him or
her power to abuse. The social media can operate as a window, allowing bullies
to exist and strengthen their identity. In the small world of the classroom, we
see a representation of many forms of bullying.
A bully is someone, who seemingly uses his or her power to make another
feel inferior.
When Akash came to his new school, he had already been expelled from three
schools for exhibiting violent behaviour towards many in his peer group. While
working with Akash, the teachers were first confronted by a body language that
typified defiance. After many counselling sessions, his defences naturally came
down, and to their surprise, they found that his reading skills were four grades
below his current reading level. He had been masking his insecurity by using
his muscle power. Through a comprehensive programme that worked on his
reading skills and tapping his talent as a sportsman, Akash blossomed into a
student, who was able to confront his deepest fears.
When Sreya’s parents were called in to address their daughter’s verbal abuse
towards her peers, we were literally in for a rude surprise. The parents blamed
the system. When the parents did not get their way, their methods of dealing
with a situation mirrored what Sreya exhibited. As a teacher, it was a valuable
experience watching how our principal gently but firmly brought the issue to
the notice of the parents, defining acceptable behaviour in school. The family
consented to go for counselling and Sreya continues to work through her
challenges with the support of her classmates and teachers.
Bullying the bully is another form of violence. Mahatma Gandhi lived the
mantra that changing the world means changing oneself. It might seem a cliche,
but putting this into practice may just be the way forward to tackle the bully
outside, and, more importantly, the bully within all of us!

Appendix 48
1. Gender role is a set of expectations that prescribes how females and
males should think, act and feel. Parents are important influences
on gender socialisation, especially, in the early years of a child’s
development. Through rewards and punishments, they induce in
children gender appropriate and inappropriate behaviours.
Appendix 173
 2. Parents often use rewards and punishments to teach their daughters to
be feminine and boys to be masculine. Peer influence is also considered to
be a major contributor to gender socialisation. Parents restrict school-aged
girls more than boys, and assign them different type of chores. In everyday
interactions, parents give their daughters a kind of ‘dependence training’,
and their sons a kind of ‘independence training’. Media, including cartoons
and commercials, are known to perpetuate gender stereotypes.
3. A research on gender stereotypes in commercials shows that across cultures,
authority figures are men, and women are mostly shown in dependent and
domestic roles. The research further shows that women are more likely to
sell body products, while men sports products.
4. Once children learn the role of male and female, they organise their world
on the basis of gender. Children’s attention and behaviour are guided by
an internal motivation to conform to gender-based sociocultural standards
and stereotypes. Once they have internalised gender standards, they begin
to expect gender appropriate behaviour from themselves. Young boys may
refuse to wear feminine clothes in a fancy dress competition. When playing
house (ghar-ghar), girls may refuse to play the father’s role. Once they
have identified with their own gender, children may model after a powerful
cultural figure of the same gender.
5. ‘Gender typing’ occurs when individuals are ready to encode and organise
information along the lines of what is considered appropriate or typical for
males and females in a society.

Appendix 49
‘Why cricket is India’s most effective social equalizer’
Cricket is perhaps ahead of any other activity in terms of
providing a level playing field for everyone...It is hard to think of
any other activity which can match cricket in terms of providing
opportunities regardless of one’s family background.
Consider two other activities — politics and films. The number
of people in important roles, who have family in the same line
of work, is quite high. Look around, and so many promising
politicians come from families, which have had a long presence in
politics. It seems odd that a lot of important people in the Hindi
film world are once again from families with a long history there. For sure,
there are successful exceptions, but one really has to wonder about the limited
pool from which prominent performer emerge.
In this context, consider how Indian cricket has defied the norm. Over the last
three decades, the social composition of Indian cricket teams has changed
quite a bit. It is no longer unusual to find the national team made up of
cricketers from places, which were not on the cricketing map a generation ago.
174 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X
When Jharkhand was formed in 2000, who would have thought that in less
than a decade, the captain of the Indian cricket team would come from there?
M. S. Dhoni was not an exception. So many of India’s recent picks have come
from smaller places and pursued cricket in challenging circumtances.
One can’t think of another area of activity in India, where parents and
background seemed to count for so little.

Appendix 50
Language is used not only as a means of communication. It is also a medium
through which most of the knowledge is acquired. We learn languages and
develop language proficiency through interactions with others. We can learn
more than one language at a time. The same applies to second language
learning. If we look around, we would find that English is being used for varied
day-to-day functional purposes and is also used along with our first or regional
language, e.g., on signboards, in advertisements and media, etc. Therefore, we
can say that English is very much a part of our multilingual environment.
In schools, English is taught and learnt as a second language (also known
as L2). The purpose of English teaching is to enrich multilingualism among
children and allow diverse languages to flourish in each other’s company.
Therefore, English is learnt best if learnt along with and not at the cost of
other languages. To facilitate language learning, it is important to provide the
learners with an input-rich communication environment. These inputs can
be in the form of textbooks, storybooks, magazines, newspapers, audio and
video, learner chosen texts, etc., as per the interest, age and cognitive level of
the learners. Language learning is acquiring the skills of listening, speaking,
reading, writing and thinking in an integrated manner. Language learning
becomes meaningful when connected with the immediate environment of the
learners. The activities need to be linked to life outside school.

Appendix 51
When you bring an animal to your home, it depends on you for more than
just food. Pets are a part of your family, and deserve your love and care. But
at the same time, one must be aware that the needs of an animal are different
from that of humans. Your pet needs space to run around and that you pay
adequate attention to its grooming.
It is important to take pets on regular walks, give them clean water and food, not
keep them chained for too long and ensure regular visits to the veterinarian. An
animal’s growth suffers when it is kept indoors and not given enough exercise.
This can also lead to skin problems and ailments like kidney or liver failure.
Appendix 175
 Animals must not be beaten up or subjected to any kind of brutality. Positive
reinforcement, spending time with the pets and rewarding good behaviour
works the best. One does not need professional trainers. There are several
videos available online that you can consult to train your pet. You will cherish
this experience and it is a great way to bond.
There is a reason why dogs are called man’s best friend. They get lonely when
you are away and are the happiest in the presence of their human family.
Treating them with love and care is something that must come naturally, and
it all begins with education.
Parents must educate their children on how to behave with animals.
Animals are like human beings and feel as much pain as we do. They
are innocent like babies and exhibit all emotions that we do — be it joy,
sadness or jealousy. Pets have an incredible ability to brighten your
day and fill your house with positive energy.

Appendix 52
Switzerland has been named the happiest country in the world, bagging the
number one spot on the 2015 World Happiness Report published by the
Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative of the
United Nations. The other countries in the top five are Iceland, Denmark,
Norway and Canada.
Happiness is considered as a measure of social progress and goal of public
policy. Happiness index describes how measurements of well-being can be used
effectively to assess the progress of nations. It takes into account factors like
GDP, per capita income, social support of having someone to count on in times
of difficulty, freedom to make life choices, healthy life expectancy, generosity
and perceptions of corruption. Differences in social support, incomes and
healthy life expectancy are the three most important factors to be taken into
consideration.
Today, the focus is on the mental state and conditions of the world’s future as
one–third of the current global population is below 18 years of age.
It is important to determine the aspects of child development. These are the
most important factors in determining whether a child turns out into a happy
and balanced adult. Studies that follow children from birth to adulthood show
three key features of child development (academic, behavioural and emotional).
There should be a balance between emotional development and academic
achievement. Millions of children worldwide are suffering from diagnosable
mental health problems, requiring treatment, and even in the richest countries,
only a quarter are undergoing treatment. We need to give priority to the
well-being of children as they are the future of the world.

176 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 53
The Delhi Election Commission has decided to make special provisions for the
differently abled in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It has planned to tie-up
with civil society organisations and NGOs for this integrated campaign intended
to ensure that a large number of differently abled people turn up to vote for the
Lok Sabha elections.
Delhi Chief Electoral Officer said, “It is a new initiative taken by the Commission
for a better poll day.”
However, the Election Commission (EC) does not have data on the number of
differently abled voters in Delhi. The EC hopes to compile the data with the help
of NGOs and civil society organisations. It has already started compiling such
data with the help of various organisations.
Once the data are available, special facilities can be made available at polling
stations, where differently abled voters are registered. The EC realised that this
was one area that needed special focus and it decided to take steps to reach out
to these voters through special initiatives.
A special camp can be organised for voters, who want to check if their names
are in the voter list. An electoral photo identity card might not be enough to
ensure that a person can vote. Everyone should also check their names in the
electoral list to be able to vote.

Appendix 54
The spirit of India is celebrated round-the-year through festivals. These
festivals are an expression and celebration of our glorious heritage, culture
and traditions. Our festivals are as diverse as the country’s landscape and as
lively as the people of the country. Festivals and celebrations bring a smile to
our face.
We celebrate religious, seasonal and national festivals, and special days. These
are celebrations in the honour of gods and goddesses, saints and prophets,
and great personalities, or mark history and culture or the advent of a new
season. We celebrate these festivals with our family and friends. People in the
country follow different customs and faiths, and celebrate different festivals.
When we think of festivities, we think of wearing new clothes, preparing a
variety of food items, decorating our homes and workplaces, giving gifts, and
wishing happiness and prosperity to our family and friends as they play an
important role in our social lives and strengthen our sense of community.
Our national festivals help us connect as people of a Nation. They strengthen
our patriotic spirit, and help develop a sense of respect and duty. Our religious
festivals spread the message of faith, love, tolerance and understanding towards
Appendix 177
 each other. Our seasonal festivals reflect the feelings of people towards nature.
These festivals are important because they are related to the seasons of sowing,
planting and harvesting, which are connected to our culture and economy.
We can say that all festivals are related to promoting harmony, peace and
happiness. This is the universal message.

Appendix 55
Whoever sits in my cab gets my card and can contact me even at 3 in the
morning with an emergency, and I will take the person to one’s destination.
An incident that pushes me to keep doing this service is one that happened
few months ago. Around 2 in the morning, I saw two men on road frantically
waving for a transport. I, obviously, stopped for them and realised that they
had a woman with them, who had met with an accident. Many cab drivers
before me had refused to take her in their vehicles. The incident made my heart
sink. I gave them a blanket, which I always keep in my car, asked them to cover
her up and drove as fast as I could to get her to the nearest hospital. For the
next few days, I kept checking to know if she had survived, and by God’s grace,
she did. We are friends now, and she still thanks me for that night.
Whether it is floods or any other emergency, I make sure to reach locations
where people need me. I believe that everything is not about money. I was
earning `65,000 in my previous job but I have never been happier.
I can speak in 11 languages, and this I have learnt through my interaction
with various passangers. I have the qualification to be an advanced engineer
but the highlight of my life is that until today I have transported more than
500 emergency cases to hospitals and have tried my best to, at least, give them
a chance to survive. For that, if I am forever called an ordinary taxi driver,
I gladly and proudly accept it.

Appendix 56
It pops up in the news from time-to-time — death by selfie. It has been reported
in newspapers that a teenager in India was struck and killed while trying to
click a picture of himself (selfie) in front of an oncoming train. An attempt has
been made to gather statistics about people, who have lost their lives while
taking selfies, combing through three years of news reports, indicating a death
‘precipitated by selfie’.
According to various news reports, around 49 people have reportedly died as
a result of some accident, involving a selfie, in the year 2014. This is likely

178 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

an underestimate as not every selfie related death has probably been reported
in media. More than a quarter of selfie related deaths, perhaps unsurprisingly,
are concentrated among 18–25 year olds, and 75 per cent are male.
The most dangerous places to take a self-portrait seem to be heights or water.
As reported, around 16 people died from falling off a cliff or tall building, while
around 14 drowned. Posing next to an oncoming train was responsible for eight
deaths, coming in at the third place.
In terms of where in the world these selfie related deaths have occured the most,
the data are skewed heavily towards India, where 19 of the reported deaths or
40 per cent of the total sample occurred. India’s higher than average drowning
rate has a huge role to play, and has garnered government attention to the
point that 16 areas near a water body have been declared as no-selfie zones.
India is not the first country to try to address this issue. Russia has created a
campaign, illustrating selfie ideas to discourage risky self portraits from cliffs,
mountain tops, or near wild animals, among other dangerous options.

Appendix 57
Listening text

Raghav : Hi! How are you girls? When is your play, Vidushi, and what is the
theme this time?
Vidushi : Hi! It is on the first of the next month. It is called ‘Beti bachao,
beti padhao’.
Amaya : I bet it is on discrimination against girls. Women face so many
problems ― infanticide, dowry harassment, depriving education to
the girl child...
(Raghav cuts Amaya short and blurts out)

Raghav : Vidushi, how boring! Same melodramatic male-bashing theatrics!
Girls parading on the stage with banners on feminism.
Amaya : Chill, Raghav! That is such a male chauvinistic comment.
Vidushi : Raghav, the play is just for people like you! Do watch it. You badly
need to be gender sensitised.
Amaya : You are absolutely right. Someone needs to grow up!
Raghav : Hey! I don’t want a lecture from the two of you on gender equality.
Vidushi : Let’s leave him alone. He will change his viewpoint soon after seeing
our nukkad natak.

Appendix 179
 Speaking text

Note to the teacher

Elicit responses on what students understand by communication. Let them

take the quiz. Discuss the assessment scale and ensure that they can improve
their communication skills. The students are not expected to share how they
fared in the quiz.

C. 1. Form student pairs.

2. Explain the game and play the audio clip twice. Give the students five
minutes to listen to the clip.

3. Give five minutes to the students to write down the questions. They are
supposed to write questions on any aspect of communication mentioned
or explained in the clip. Encourage them to move beyond the obviously
stated while framing the questions. For instance, give one example of
nervousness displayed by our body language or provide instances of
formal and informal communication.

4. Let some pairs ask their questions. You may involve the entire class
while seeking responses or do it in pairs.

D. 1. Make student pairs and number them from 1 to 25 (assuming that the
class strength is 50).

2. Let each pair prepare its chit, mentioning three causes of ineffective
communication and pass it on to the pair sitting behind it. Give the
students five minutes for it.

3. Let the new pair work on the chit passed onto them and jot down
whether they find the causes mentioned understandable or not. Let
them discuss the example they would use to explain any one cause of
ineffective communication. Give them five minutes for this. Make sure
that the students use sentence linkers appropriately.

4. Invite volunteering pairs to present their assessment of the chit they

received, as well as, their additions to it with the whole class.

5. Peer learning (sharing, commenting and adding) is actually helping

them understand each other’s ideas related to communication. The
facilitator steps in wherever required during brainstorming, discussion
or later during presentation.

180 Interactions – Activity Book on Listening and Speaking for Classes VI to X

 Appendix 58
English is a global language used all over the world for communication purposes.
In our daily lives, we come across several informal and formal situations,
where we want to share information with others or express ideas and relate
our experiences with them. For this, we need to organise our thoughts well
and choose appropriate words and phrases. However, as English is not our
mother tongue, many of us face difficulties in speaking and understanding it.
We hesitate to speak in English because we think we do not have sufficient
vocabulary and knowledge of English grammar. This gets reflected in our body
language too. So, we appear nervous and conscious while speaking in English.
But remember, we communicate not only with words but also with our gestures
and postures. Develop your vocabulary and grammer so that you are able to
communicate with confidence.

Note to the teacher

(i) This is a group activity.

(ii) The students can pick up any instance or barrier of ineffective

communication and illustrate how to overcome it.

(iii) Randomly choose some groups to come forward and make their
presentation. The majority of the group should speak.

(iv) Encourage other groups to give their feedback on the presentation

by evaluating it both in terms of content and delivery, and suggesting
improvements or modification, if any. You could give them a feedback
template to work on. For example:

Content Idea, creativity, organisation

Delivery Pronunciation, clarity, grammatical mistakes

(v) Additional comments, if any, from any student of the class are welcome.

Appendix 181
Notes
 Training Package on Art Training Package on Art
Education — Vol. I Education — Vol. II
` 475.00 / pp.172 ` 475.00 / pp.370
Code — 13125 Code — 13126
ISBN — 978-93-5007-333-9 ISBN — 978-93-5007-334-6

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` 210.00 / pp.181 ` 180.00 / पृष्‍ठ  48
Code — 13171 कोड  — 13173
ISBN — 978-93-5292-017-4 ISBN — 978-93-5292-020-4

For further enquiries, please visit www.ncert.nic.in or contact the Business Managers at the addresses of
the regional centres given on the copyright page.
18192

ISBN 978-93-5292-332-8