Summary: At the Games
Naadam is an annual Mongolian festival. An important part of this festival is
the horse race where only children can participate. Ariuna is a young girl
who lives in Hatgal, Mongolia. She is going to participate in the race with
her brown horse. Delger, her brother Tuli’s friend, tells Ariuna that her
horse is slow, so she cannot win. He is sure to win the race. Unhappy,
Ariuna goes back home. There, her mother tells her not to listen to Delger.
She also explains that the really important thing is not to win but to take
part in the race and do her best. Ariuna feels better and decides to
participate in the race. Delger discourages her even on the day of the race,
but Ariuna ignores him.
Forty children race across the country. When Ariuna comes to a river, she
sees that the other children have already crossed it. She also sees a boy fall
off his horse by the side of the river. The boy is Delger and his grey horse
runs away without him. Ariuna stops and gets down to help Delger, who is
hurt by the fall. Ariuna helps him get on her horse and the two of them ride
back together to the field. Delger’s horse reaches before all the others, but it
has no rider. When it is announced to be the winning horse, Delger asks
Ariuna to ride it in front of the crowd. She also receives the prize. Tuli and
others are proud of her, and Delger thanks her for being a good friend.
The story can be divided into three parts—what happens before the race, at
the race, and after the race. The story is told from the point of view of
Ariuna—how she prepares for, participates in and completes the race.
There are two major characters in the text—Ariuna and Delger. Ariuna is
the heroine as she shows herself to be brave and kind. She overcomes her
fear of losing the race and takes part in it, and in an important moment, she
chooses to stop racing so that she can help someone else, although that
person had not helped her at all.
Through the text, she learns a lesson. Her mother teaches her that it is
more important to participate in something than to win it. She also learns
that it is a right decision to help someone in need, as she is rewarded for
her kindness in the end. The other major character is Delger, who starts in
a negative light and changes for the better. In the beginning, he is quite
unkind to Ariuna. He is also quite overconfident; he is sure that he will win
the race. However, when he goes through an accident and sees that Ariuna
helps him in spite of his earlier unkindness, he changes for the better and
thanks her. So the events in the story act as a lesson for Delger. The other,
minor characters in the story are Ariuna’s mother and brother, who
encourage her.
UNIT 4 AT THE GAMES
Embedded Questions 1:
She is training for the Naadam horse race.
Embedded Questions 2:
From Delger’s words, we can understand that Tuli and the black horse had a good chance of winning
if they had participated in the race.
Embedded Questions 3:
Ariuna’s mother tells her not to listen to Delger because he was discouraging her unkindly.
Embedded Questions 4:
Suggested answer (accept any logical answer):
Yes, the race is difficult. A lot of children participate in it, so the competition is tough. Also, the children
have to ride over a long distance and it is very dusty.
Embedded Questions 5:
● Ariuna stops because she wants to help Delger, who has fallen down.
● Yes, she is a kind girl as she tries to help Delger.
Embedded Questions 6:
● Not true
● True
Comprehension
A. a. 3 b. 6 c. 4 d. 2 e. 1 f. 5
B. 1. a. Ariuna said this to Delger. They were riding beside a river.
b. Tuli, Ariuna’s brother, is being referred to as ‘he’.
c. The listener, Delger, was happy to hear this. He laughed and said that then he and his grey horse
would win the race.
2. Ariuna did not want to ride in the Naadam because Delger told her that her brown horse was slow.
Only a fast horse could win the race. Delger said that as Tuli and his black horse were not taking
part in the race, Delger would win it. Ariuna changed her mind when her mother encouraged her.
She told Ariuna that it was important to ride, whether or not she won the race.
3. a. Delger.
b. They were in the sports field, waiting to begin the race.
c. Ariuna decided to ignore him because he was always discouraging her. Her mother had told
her not to listen to him, and only focus on riding.
4. When Ariuna reached the river, she saw that the other children were already crossing it. Then she
saw that on the other side, a boy fell down from his horse. The horse kept running and so did the
other children. The boy sat up slowly on a rock beside the river.
5. Ariuna stopped beside Delger. He had fallen off his horse. When she saw blood on his head, she
wet her hat in the water and wiped his head and face with it. Then she helped him stand up and
get on her horse. She brought him back to the field on her horse, to his parents.
6. a. Delger said this. They were back in the sports field.
b. Delger’s grey horse is referred to as ‘it’. Delger wanted Ariuna to ride it as he could not ride it
himself—his leg was hurt. He was also thankful to Ariuna for helping him, so he wanted her to
ride the winning horse.
c. After this, Ariuna rode the grey horse in front of the crowd and received the winner’s cup.
Delger also thanked her for being a good friend.
C. Suggested answers (accept any logical answer):
1. This statement means that it is more important to take part in something and try one’s best than
to win. We do not always have to win every competition or come first everywhere. Winning is
often a matter of luck. But we should take part and do as well as we can. This will make us more
confident and give us an idea of how good we are at that activity. We will also learn to enjoy that
activity if we try to do it well.
2. The real winner of the race was Ariuna, because she helped Delger even though she was behind
the others and even though Delger had laughed at her. None of the other children stopped to
help Delger. Delger himself had not been kind to Ariuna. But Ariuna did the right thing, and she
rode so well that she could also carry Delger on her horse.
Grammar
2. main verb: find; auxiliary verb: could 3. main verb: practising; auxiliary verb: is
4. main verb: draw; auxiliary verb: did 5. main verb: play; auxiliary verb: does
6. main verb: waiting; auxiliary verb: are 7. main verb: arrived; auxiliary verb: has
B. 2. must 3. should 4. would 5. might 6. shall
C. 2. Did 3. have 4. should 5. would 6. Have
Vocabulary
1. dull 2. deep 3. rough 4. enter 5. raise 6. unusual
Writing
Suggested answer (accept any logical answer):
Andy, Karan and Amir went for a walk every day. One day, they were walking across a large field. They
had come far from their neighbourhood, but they were so busy talking that they had not noticed it.
It had rained in the morning, and the ground was muddy and full of puddles. When the three friends
realised that they had come so far, they started walking back quickly. Suddenly, Amir’s foot slipped in
the mud, and he fell onto the ground.
As Karan and Andy rushed to help him up, they saw that Amir’s face was twisted with pain. “Guys,
I think I have broken my leg,” he said, almost in tears. “I can’t get up. It hurts too much.”
The other two were quite frightened to hear this. They were far from home. “What should we do?”
asked Karan. “Should we knock on some house nearby and ask for help?”
“Amir needs to be carried home. What if no one here can do it? How many houses will we knock on?”
asked Andy.
“Let me try to get up,” said Amir, seeing how worried his friends were. But the other two stopped him.
Amir was brave, but they could see that he was badly hurt. Then, Karan had an idea.
“Andy, you’re the fastest runner among us,” he said. “My uncle works at the Good Care Pharmacy,
which is ten minutes away. Will you run there and ask him to come here? He’ll be able to help us.”
Without even waiting to answer, Andy started to run. Karan waited with Amir, encouraging him to be
patient, and helping him to sit up.
Within fifteen minutes, Andy came back with Karan’s uncle. Uncle had hired a taxi to carry Amir. All
of them helped him into the taxi and they drove to the doctor. After examining Amir, the doctor
said that he had not broken his leg. It was only a sprain. Everyone was so relieved! The three friends
hugged each other.
“I am proud of you all,” said Karan’s uncle, smiling.
Listening
Listening text
Respected teachers and dear friends, today, on the occasion of Children’s Day, I want to talk to you
about bullying in school. A bully is someone who harms or frightens another person. A bully is often
bigger than the bullied. He may be physically stronger, have more friends to help him, or he may
simply have a louder voice. There are many ways that bullies try to make the other person feel weak
and frightened. I am referring to a bully as ‘he’, but sometimes, girls may also be bullies.
Why would anyone bully another person? The bully tries to prove that he is bigger, stronger or braver,
but actually, bullies are great cowards. When they try to frighten others, they try to hide their own lack
of courage. Someone who is really strong or brave helps others. He does not hurt them.
So what can we do to stop bullying? If you are bullied, report it to your parent or teacher. Do not be
afraid of bullies. Teachers should talk to students about why bullying is wrong. If you see a friend
being bullied, help him or her. If you see a friend bullying someone, stop them. Remember, it is not
brave or smart to bully someone. It is cowardly and wrong.
Answer:
1. This speech is about bullying in school. It was given on Children’s Day.
2. A bully is someone who harms or frightens another person.
3. A bully can be bigger, physically stronger, have more friends, or have a louder voice.
4. Bullies try to prove that they are bigger, stronger or braver, but actually, they are cowards. They try
to frighten others to hide their own lack of courage.
5. If someone is bullied, he should report it to his parent or teacher. Teachers should talk to students
about why bullying is wrong. If we see someone being bullied, we should help him or her. If we see
someone bullying another, we should stop them.
Spelling
A. 1. visual 2. article 3. cancel 4. channel 5. normal 6. double 7. hostel
8. vehicle 9. special
B. 1. achieve 2. weight 3. niece 4. brief 5. ceiling 6. relieve 7. fierce
8. weird 9. seize
AT THE GAMES
A. Answer in brief.
1. How did Delger discourage Ariuna?
Ans: Ariuna was training her horse to participate in the horse race in the Naadam. When Delger
heard that she was training her horse to ride in the Naadam, he laughed and said it would not win
as hers was a slow horse whereas his horse would win as it was fast.
2. How many took part in the horse race? Why did Ariuna ignore Delger in the Naadam?
Ans: On the day of the Naadam, nearly forty children came to take part in the horse race. Many of
Ariuna’s friends also were there. She saw Delger too who laughed at her saying her horse was not
going to win. Ariuna followed her mother’s advice and ignored him and decided to take part in
the race.
B. Answer in detail.
1. Who encouraged Ariuna to take part in the race? What happened on the way during the race?
Ans: Ariuna was sad and unhappy because Delger had discouraged her from riding in the
Naadam. On seeing Ariuna upset, her mother advised her to ignore Delger’s words and ride, as
she was a good rider and that winning was not important. So Ariuna rode up hills and down hills
on her brown horse. On the way near the river she saw a boy fall off his horse. She realised that it
was Delger, who was badly wounded. Ariuna stopped and helped him reach the sports field to be
treated for his injury.
2. Who was declared the winner? Why?
Ans: Delger was very confident that his horse would win the race as it was much faster than all
the horses. But unfortunately, he fell from his horse and could not ride it till the winning line as he
badly injured his leg. Ariuna helped him on the way and both rode on Ariuna’s horse. They were
a long way behind the others. At the sports field the first horse to run before every one was the
grey horse without its rider, Delger. The grey horse was declared the winner. As someone had to
ride the horse to receive the prize, Delger asked Ariuna to ride and get the cup as he was injured.
So though her horse did not win, Ariuna received the winner’s cup.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. She could see the dust. It was in her eyes and in her mouth.
a. Who is she?
b. Where was she?
c. Was she alone or with other children?
Ans: a. She refers to Ariuna.
b. She was participating in the race and was riding a horse.
c. First she was with all the other children who rode over the hill but now she was unable
to see anyone around her.
2. “I can’t finish the race without my horse!” Delger cried.
a. Why was Delger upset?
b. Why was his horse not with him?
c. Who helped him at that moment?
Ans: a. Delger was upset because he had fallen from the horse and had injured his leg.
b. His horse was not with him because after he fell from the horse, the horse did not stop
and it galloped away.
c. It was Ariuna who happened to see him near the river and came around to help him.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
1. How did Delger make amends for being insensitive towards Ariuna?
Ans: When Delger fell from the horse, it was Ariuna who helped him and reached him to the
sports field. A doctor checked him there as his leg was badly injured. When it was announced that
it was Delger’s horse that won the race, Delger made Ariuna ride the horse and receive the cup
making her the true winner.
2. What quality of Ariuna impressed you the most? Give reasons.
Ans: Ariuna was very humble, soft spoken and a true friend. Despite Delger’s insensitive
behaviour, she did not hesitate to help him. She helped him on her horse and brought him to the
field without bothering about the race which she was very eager to participate in.
E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
What do you think is the most important quality required of a good friend?
Ans: [Free response]
Comments
Post a Comment