Given below are some questions that children in India have asked Professor Yash Pal and Dr. Rahul Pal as reported in their book, Discovered Questions(i) What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses? (ii) How do honeybees identify their own honeycombs? (iii)Why does rain fall in drops?

You must have read about cells and DNA in your science books. Discuss Richard Ebright’s work in the light of what you have studied.

How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian... ? Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve observing, thinking and doing experiments?

What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist ?

What experiments and projects does he then undertake?

What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair ?

How did his mother help him ?

How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life ?

Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?

What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 7?

Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Who do you think is speaking to her?

How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Thinking About Language. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

Thinking About Language. Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.

Thinking About Language. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

Thinking About Language. Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.

Thinking About Language. From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

Thinking About the Text. Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true. Maxwell’s description :

Thinking About the Text. Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

Thinking About the Text. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?

Thinking About the Text. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?

Thinking About the Text. What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun loving animal who needs love?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. III. Mij and I remained ....................................supposed to be? What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was ?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. III. Mij and I remained ....................................supposed to be? What group of animals do otters belong to?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. III. Mij and I remained ....................................supposed to be? What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of : (i) school children (ii) Mij

ORAL COMPREHENSION. III. Mij and I remained ....................................supposed to be? What game had Mij invented?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. II. The days passed peacefully ....................... and my neck. What happened when the box was opened?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. II. The days passed peacefully ....................... and my neck. Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. II. The days passed peacefully ....................... and my neck. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. II. The days passed peacefully ....................... and my neck. What did Mij do to the box?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. II. The days passed peacefully ....................... and my neck. How was Mij to be transported to England?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. EARLY in the New Year of .................... one to the floor. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?

ORAL COMPREHENSION. EARLY in the New Year of .................... one to the floor. Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was: aloof and indifferent friendly hostile

ORAL COMPREHENSION. EARLY in the New Year of .................... one to the floor. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?

How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.

ORAL COMPREHENSION. EARLY in the New Year of .................... one to the floor. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?