Summary: The Gift
Anna was a little girl who was friends with old Nana Marie. Nana Marie had fallen ill
and had been taken to the hospital. Anna learned from Rita, Nana Marie’s daughterin-law, that Nana Marie was coming home but that she had suddenly gone blind. Rita
then invited Anna to a party in the evening to welcome Nana Marie home, but Anna
was too shocked and sad to answer.
Anna walked into the woods to think about her friend. She spent the entire day
there, near a pool in the woods, thinking about a gift that she could give her friend.
Finally, at the end of the day, she came up with the perfect gift for Nana Marie.
When she finally reached Nana Marie’s house, she rapped softly on the door. There
was no answer. She knocked again, louder, then put her hand on the doorknob. It
opened from the other side, and Rita stood there in her bathrobe.
Rita told Anna that the part had ended half an hour ago and that she had thought
that Anna had forgotten about it. She had also told Nana Marie to go to bed as there
was no waiting up any longer for Anna. Then she told Anna to come back the next
day.
But Anna really wanted to give Nana Marie her gift. Anna headed for the stairs on
tiptoe. The landing at the top of the stairs was dark, and the door to Nana Marie’s
room was closed. Anna’s hand hesitated on the doorknob. Then she opened the door
and shut it behind her.
Nana Marie’s room was pitch black. Anna ran to the window and soon the blinds
clattered up, crashing in the darkness. Then Nana Marie called out to her—she was
awake and very happy to see Anna.
Anna told her that she had a gift for her but Nana Marie said she shouldn’t have
done that. She thought the guests at her party had been kind to her by bringing her
gifts but that they were of no use to her anymore.
Then Anna told Nana Marie that she had brought her a last day, as a gift. Nana Marie
was sitting in her rocking chair. With one hand, she held on to Anna’s. With the
other, she pointed toward a stool. “Pull it upright here, Anna,” she said. Anna pulled
Nana Marie’s hand into her lap and held it with both of her own as she described
everything she had seen that day.
The friendship between Anna and Nana Marie is an unusual one. But is it also a true
and strong friendship. In the story, one can see how much Anna cares for Nana
Marie—she is shocked by the news of her illness and very sad; she needs time to
recover from the news and she spends the day thinking of her friend. Anna also takes
a lot of time and care thinking of a gift for Nana Marie and wants to ensure that she
gives her something special and memorable. This also shows us how close they are
because Anna knows what Nana Marie would like. On Nana Marie’s part, we see that
she has been waiting for Anna to come see her. This shows that she was longing to
meet her dear friend. She is also very happy to see Anna and she takes the time to
listen to the gift that Anna has bought her. It is a friendship that grew stronger in
troubled times and this shows us that they are true friends.
UNIT 10 THE GIFT
Warm Up
Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer).
I will write my friend a song and sing it to her. It need not be for her birthday but instead a song to tell
her how much she means to me and how she makes my life better.
Embedded Questions 1
● Anna has learned that her friend, Nana Marie, has been very ill and had gone blind all of a sudden.
● Anna heads into the woods—she wants to go to a small deep pool in the woods. It is a place that
she visits often.
Embedded Questions 2
● Free Response
● Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer). Ideas and thoughts can be very big but weigh
nothing physically.
Embedded Questions 3
● No, she was annoyed with Anna because she had not come for her party.
● Yes, she was.
● She thought that she did not have much use for them because she was blind now.
Embedded Questions 4
● Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer). She probably felt surprised that Anna had thought to
bring her this gift. She might also have been happy and grateful for such a thoughtful gift.
● Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer). She might have described the sights, sounds, smells
and sounds that she had experienced that day. She might have also described what she knows are
Nana Marie’s favourite things to do outside.
Comprehension
A. 1. Anna was worried because Nana Marie had fallen ill and gone blind.
2. Anna walks into the woods to think about her friend.
3. Rita told Anna that the part had ended half an hour ago and that she had thought that Anna
had forgotten about it. She had also told Nana Marie to go to bed as there was no waiting up any
longer for Anna. Then she told Anna to come back the next day.
4. She thought the guests had been kind to being her gifts but that they were of no use to her
anymore.
5. She was touched, delighted and grateful.
B. 1. a. She bought Nana Marie a last day, as a gift.
b. It was different because Anna had not bought it at a shop. Instead, it was something she had
put together in her mind for a very dear friend who could no longer see the world as she had
before.
c. It was a difficult gift to get because it meant that Anna had to really pay attention to her
surroundings and then put together the words to explain it all to Nana Marie.
2. a. Nana Marie said this to Anna.
b. She was really touched and delighted by the thoughtfulness of Anna’s gift.
C. 1. Yes, it might have had a big role in her choosing that particular gift for Nana Marie. As Anna stared
at the water in the pool, she saw her reflection. She would have also seen the sky, the trees, the
grass and even a bit of sunlight reflected in the water. Sometimes, looking at the reflection of
nature in a beautiful body of water makes us truly and stop appreciate the beauty around us. So
Anna might have recognized how lovely her surroundings were and decided that she had to come
up with a way to share this experience with Nana Marie.
2. Anna was quite excited to share her gift at first. The way she keeps knocking at the door tells
us that she really wanted to share her gift with Nana Marie. (She rapped softly on the door.
There was no answer. She knocked again, louder, then put her hand on the doorknob.) But
as she climbed the steps, she saw that the lights had been turned off as if the people in the
house were getting ready for bed. She also saw that Nana Marie’s bedroom door was shut.
(The landing at the top of the stairs was dark, and the door to Nana Marie’s room was closed.)
At this point, Anna began to wonder if it was a good idea to try and gift that very day. She
began to hesitate and nearly didn’t go in. (Anna’s hand hesitated on the doorknob.) The,
finally, after some thought, she decided to do it anyway. (Then she opened the door and shut
it behind her.)
3. Nana Marie was sitting in her rocking chair. With one hand, she held on to Anna’s. With the
other, she pointed toward a stool. “Pull it upright here, Anna,” she said. Anna pulled Nana
Marie’s hand into her lap and held it with both of her own as she described everything she had
seen that day. The two friends sat together, holding hands, in the quiet room. The only light
in the room is a faint glow, probably from a lamp. This sets up a very cosy atmosphere and a
feeling as though the friends are very happy just being with each other. This also shows us how
much affection they have for each other and how happy they are to spend time in each other’s
company.
D. Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer).
The friendship between Anna and Nana Marie is an unusual one. But is it also a true and strong
friendship. In the story, one can see how much Anna cares for Nana Marie—she is shocked by the
news of her illness and very sad; she needs time to recover from the news and she spends the day
thinking of her friend. Anna also takes a lot of time and care thinking of a gift for Nana Marie and
wants to ensure that she gives her something special and memorable. This also shows us how
close they are because Anna knows what Nana Marie would like. On Nana Marie’s part, we see that
she has been waiting for Anna to come see her. This shows that she was longing to meet her dear
friend. She is also very happy to see Anna and she takes the time to listen to the gift that Anna has
bought her. It is a friendship that grew stronger in troubled times and this shows us that they are
true friends.
E. Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer).
friendship
trust
honesty
kindness
loyalty
Grammar
A. 2. has recovered 3. had known 4. has sung 5. has driven 6. had studied
B. 2. has been learning 3. had been chatting 4. had been waiting 5. has been eating
C. 2. I have been writing letters to her for a long time.
3. Grandmother had been gardening all day and so she is now tired.
4. My father has been buying vegetables in the market.
5. I had been sleeping when my friend called.
Vocabulary
1. d 2. f 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. c
Writing
Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer).
Shruti Patel
Class 6A
The Gurukul
Mumbai
04 May 2018
The Principal,
The Gurukul
Mumbai
Sub: Permission to arrange for extra coaching classes after school
Dear Ma’am,
I am Shruti Patel from Class 6A. I am writing to you to ask for permission to arrange for extra coaching
classes in Maths and Science after school. I have attached a sheet with this letter with signatures from
other students who are interested in attending these classes.
Mr Varma has offered to help arrange these classes and supervise them. I would be very grateful if
you could approve this request as we feel that we could greatly benefit from these classes.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Shruti Patel
Class 6A
Listening
Listening Text
Kajol and I have been friends for about six years. She’s been interested in environmental conservation
for as long as I can remember and she loves spending time outdoors! I am not an outdoors person—I
love reading and arts and crafts. This Saturday, however, Kajol insisted that I join her for a trek in the
woods. We started out very early in the day. It was quite cold—there was a lot of mist and we were
wearing sweaters and scarves. It was very quiet, though we occasionally heard a bird or some rustling
in the long grass. After a while, it became warmer and the forest was filled with different sounds.
The mist lifted just as we reached a clearing from which we had a wonderful view of the mountains.
My feet were aching from the walk and I was hot and out of breath, but the walk had been worth it!
I had never seen anything like this before. We sat and ate a simple breakfast, while talking quietly.
Kajol tried to identify some bird calls and we also tried to imitate them. Then once we were rested, we
packed everything up, checked to see that we had not left any litter behind and began the walk back
home. It was a morning I will never forget.
Answer:
1. NT 2. T 3. NT 4. T 5. NT
Speaking
Please use the text provided for Listening as a model for this task, if required.
Spelling
1. There was a long boring scene at the beginning.
2. I will definitely see you during Science tuition today.
3. I heard that the weather will be chilly all this week.
4. The magician made the rabbit disappear!
5. My friend asked me to come to class immediately.
6. I am going to the zoo tomorrow.
THE GIFT
A. Answer in brief.
Why did Anna insist on meeting Nana though Rita requested her to come the next day?
Ans: Anna could not reach Nana’s place in time for the party as she was busy planning a perfect gift
for her friend. Despite Rita requesting her to come the next day Anna wanted to meet Nana as she
wanted to convey to Nana all that she had seen that day and make Nana happy.
B. Answer in detail.
1. What did Anna want to give Nana as a present? Why did she plan this kind of gift?
Ans: Anna was terribly pained and shocked to hear about Nana’s blindness. She was very keen
to give Nana the perfect gift and make her happy. She had to think a lot and plan the gift for her
as Anna wanted Nana to enjoy the gift even without seeing it. When she saw the reflection of
the sun and the things around her in the reflection, she thought of Nana. She stayed up in the
mountain till evening. She wanted to gift Nana the visual scenes that nature had to offer. Anna
wanted her to experience all that a person with eye sight would enjoy and cherish. Anna felt that
was the best gift she could give her dear friend.
2. What pains did Anna take to make her gift special to Nana?
Ans: Anna took all day to get the gift for her dear friend. Her gift was a very special one. It was like
no other gift and a gift no one else would have got her. All day long Anna saw the world the way
Nana Marie had shown her. Now she took that as a gift to Nana for her to see in her mind’s eye.
She patiently described to Nana everything that she saw that day. The lovely sky, the birds, the
wood and the gentle breeze in the mountain everything she described to Nana, just as if Nana
saw them with her. She also promised to narrate to her whatever she saw every day. Each day
Anna decided to bring her enough ‘visuals’ to last forever.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. “I thought may be you were getting tired of having such a very old lady for a friend.”
a. Who speaks the above lines?
b. Why does she say so?
c. What reason does Anna give for having got late?
Ans: a. The above lines are spoken by Nana Marie.
b. Anna was much younger to Nana. She also could not reach in time for the party thrown
by Nana’s daughter-in-law for her homecoming. So Nana thought Anna was not
interested in meeting her.
c. Anna was busy getting a present for Nana. Anna said she got late because she took the
whole day to get the present.
2. “Thank you Anna,” she said. “That was beautiful.”
a. Why does Nana thank Anna?
b. What was beautiful?
c. What impact did that have on Nana?
Ans: a. Nana thanked Anna for giving her the best present ever.
b. Anna’s description of the day that made Nana feel as if she was seeing with her own eyes.
That was a beautiful experience for Nana.
c. She concluded that it was the day she would always remember.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
Why was Anna carrying her gift in her head?
Ans: Anna, pained by her dear friend’s sudden blindness, wanted to do something special for her. She
finally decided on the gift. She had to carry that gift in her head, so that she could narrate every detail
to her friend from her memory and give her the best experience of her life.
E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
Do you agree that the friendship between Anna and Nana Marie was unusual and unique? Give
reasons.
[Free response] Suggested answer: The bond between Anna and Nana Marie was indeed unusual
and different. Anna was a little girl and Nana was old but their friendship was much stronger than
that of persons of same age. Nana had shown the world to Anna and now Anna wanted to show the
world to Nana as she had lost her eyesight. Though a little girl, she spent the whole day thinking of
giving a perfect gift to her dear friend. She wanted to take the whole woods, the sky and the fields to
Nana if it was possible by her. She did make it possible by recounting everything she experienced on
the mountain to Nana. Nana was so happy to hear Anna describe the day that she felt that it was the
most memorable day of her life.
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