Siddhartha Basu

Preface
Know for Sure—a series of eight general knowledge books for students of classes 1 to 8—has been a carefully

and has earned the trust of many for providing detailed and accurate information on a wide range of subjects.

ance between knowing more and being sure of what we learn is by getting to the primary source of facts or by
cross-checking these with sound references. Know for Sure has been doing this since its beginning while contin-
uously updating itself to keep pace with this age of information boom. This year, the series has been thoroughly

Know for Sure is not just a bunch of questions and answers or just another bundle of facts which have to be

answers. It is about going beyond a few select subjects that are taught in schools. It is also about becoming more
aware of the world around us. Therefore, this series has been designed as an extension of the recommendations of
National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and is aimed at bringing alive general knowledge in the classroom
with quizzes, games, facts, surveys, word craft, activities, life skills, brain-teasers, lifestyles, stories, handicrafts,
group discussions about value systems, and a whole lot more that can excite, engage, and educate a young mind.

The perspective of the series—India and the World—is aimed at kindling an all-round interest in subjects both
familiar and unknown. While systematically dealing with subjects and areas recommended for learning, these
books not only make quizzing fun and fascinating but also encourage learners to discover more.

The completely revised and updated Know for Sure, based on valuable feedback received from students, teach-
ers, and principals of schools, is ready to provide an exciting knowledge tour with Knowy, the curious caterpillar.

Key features of the Know for Sure, 2019 edition:

• Diverse and authentic content
• Gradation of topics to provide various levels of challenge
• Simple language and colourful illustrations to enhance the joy of learning
•
•
• Introduction to the wonders of nature to create environmental awareness
•
• Challenging quizzes and brain-teasers to sharpen logical abilities of learners
• Unusual and interesting bits of information to add new dimensions to the topics
• Model test papers to help learners reinforce their knowledge
• Complete answer key at the end of each book to encourage self-evaluation

With the hope that the Know for Sure series will enthuse you, we look forward to any suggestions that you may
have to improve it. You may email the publisher at [email protected].

— Siddhartha Basu
 Contents
The Natural World
Things Around Me

Science and Technology

Numbers and Logical Skills

Language and Literature,

Legends, and Myths
Arts and Music

Sports

The World Around Us

Mixed Bag
Front and back cover, title page: (Godafoss waterfalls in Iceland): © evenfh/Shutterstock.com, (Siddhartha Basu): © Nitin Upadhye.
Photos: pp. 4, 8 (puffin): © Joseph Gough/Dreamstime.com; pp. 4, 22 (Aryabhata): © Cpjha13 (Aryabhatta of Bihar.jpg: CC BY-SA 4.0); pp. 4, 42 (sports car): © Valleysnow/
Dreamstime.com; pp. 5, 63 (Tholu Bommalata): Daderot/CC0; pp. 5, 65 (Roman Colosseum): © David Iliff/Dreamstime.com; p. 7 (tardigrades): © Darron Birgenheier/https://www.

Apers/Dreamstime.com, (rhea): © Prillfoto/Dreamstime.com, (macaw): © Maciej Czekajewski/Dreamstime.com, (kookaburra): © Lukas Blazek/Dreamstime.com, (albatross):
© Staphy/Dreamstime.com; p. 9 (yak): © Meunierd/Dreamstime.com, (elk): © Jill Lang/Dreamstime.com, (mink): © Mikelane45/Dreamstime.com, (jaguar): © Jamen Percy/
Dreamstime.com, (tapir): © Lukas Blazek/Dreamstime.com, (raccoon): © Moose Henderson/Dreamstime.com, (grizzly bear): © Stephanie Berg/Dreamstime.com, (gibbon):
© Worakit Sirijinda/Dreamstime.com; p. 10 (long jump): © Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Dreamstime.com, (javelin throw): © Chelsdo/Dreamstime.com, (hurdles): © Shariff Che\’ Lah/
Dreamstime.com, (relay race): © Photographerlondon/Dreamstime.com, (hammer throw): © Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Dreamstime.com, (shot-put): © Wavebreakmedia
Ltd/Dreamstime.com; p. 11 (Jackie Joyner Kersee): © Laurence Agron/Dreamstime.com, (Usain Bolt): © Vasilis Ververidis/Dreamstime.com, (Milkha Singh): © Jatin Chadha/
Dreamstime.com, (Emil Zátopek): National Archives/Anefo/Public Domain, (Sergey Bubka): © Denys Kuvaiev/Dreamstime.com; p. 12 (national flag of India): © Serhii
Brovko/Dreamstime.com; p. 15 (printing machine): © Volykievgenii/Dreamstime.com; p. 16 (Sansad): © 3000ad/Dreamstime.com, (National People’s Congress): © Kyle Allen/
Dreamstime.com, (Federal Assembly): © Leonid Andronov/Dreamstime.com, (Folketing): © Leonid Andronov/Dreamstime.com, (Diet): © Sean Pavone/Dreamstime.com, (Jatiya
Sangsad Bhaban): © Fritz Hiersche/Dreamstime.com, (Knesset): © Lev Tsimbler/Dreamstime.com, (Congress of Deputies): © Gerold Grotelueschen/Dreamstime.com, (British
Parliament): © Krylon80/Dreamstime.com; p. 18 (sea otter): © Joshua Rainey/Dreamstime.com, (manatee): © Mady Macdonald/Dreamstime.com, (barracuda): © Planctonvideo/
Dreamstime.com, (oyster): © John White/Dreamstime.com, (scallop): © Norman Chan/Dreamstime.com, (lamprey): © Pnwnature/Dreamstime.com, (walrus): © Vladimir
Seliverstov/Dreamstime.com, (clown fish): © Andreykuzmin/Dreamstime.com; p. 21 (Ma Long): © Grosremy/Dreamstime.com, (Ovtcharov Dimitrij): © Grosremy/Dreamstime.
com, (Fan Zhendong): © Grosremy/Dreamstime.com; p. 22 (Charaka): © Alokprasad (Charak statue.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Sushruta): © Alokprasad (Shushrut statue.jpg: CC BY-SA
3.0); p. 24 (black rhinoceros): © Andreanita/Dreamstime.com, (leatherback sea turtle): © Stephanie Rousseau/Dreamstime.com, (orangutan): © Andrey Gudkov/Dreamstime.com;
pp. 24, 86 (pangolin): © Peter Titmuss/Dreamstime.com; p. 25 (Asian elephant): © Dreamstime Agency/Dreamstime.com, (red panda): © Jerryway/Dreamstime.com; p. 26 (Homer):
© Kmiragaya/Dreamstime.com; p. 27 (Buddha): © Yodrak Thaketsree/Dreamstime.com, (Mahabharata): © Nitish Kumar/Dreamstime.com; p. 30 (Lufthansa airlines logo):
© Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com, (Thai Airways logo): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com, (Fly emirates logo): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/
Dreamstime.com, (Air New Zealand logo): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com, (kansai airport): © Seaonweb/Dreamstime.com; p. 32 (Madhubani Painting):
© Samrat35/Dreamstime.com, (Tanjore painting): © Klodien/Dreamstime.com, (Patta Chitra): © Samrat35/Dreamstime.com; pp. 32, 87 (Warli folk painting): © Iuliia Selina/
Dreamstime.com; p. 33 (Rajasthani miniature painting): © Onef9day (Rajasthani Miniature painting.jpg: CC BY 3.0), (Bandhani): © Piyush Kumar/https://www.flickr.com/photos/
piyushkumar1/8356680599/: CC BY 2.0, (Kalamkari): © Gansham Ramchandani/Dreamstime.com; p. 36 (aloe vera): © Mario Ondris/Dreamstime.com, (Indian ginseng):
© Gpagomenos/Dreamstime.com, (sandalwood): © Nandan Patel/Dreamstime.com, (Indian gooseberry): © Jose Mathew/Dreamstime.com; p. 37 (wild turmeric): © Philipmorch/
Dreamstime.com, (Cinnamon): © Michael Poe/Dreamstime.com; p. 39 (Pandit Jasraj): © Suyash.dwivedi (Pandit Jasraj at Bhopal 2015-1.JPG: CC BY-SA 4.0), (M Balamuralikrishna):
© Krupasindhu Muduli (M. Balamuralikrishna 02.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Jagjit Singh): © Krupasindhu Muduli (Jagjit Singh (Ghazal Maestro).jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Bhupen
Hazarika): © Utpal Baruah, UB Photos, www.ubphotos.com (Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Assam, India.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Frank Sinatra): © Laurence Agron/Dreamstime.com, (Elton
John): © Sbukley/Dreamstime.com; pp. 39, 86 (Asha Bhosle): © Nikhil Gangavane/Dreamstime.com; p. 40 (current logo of IBM): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com,
(current logo of HSBC): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com, (current logo of Apple): © Bazruh/Dreamstime.com, (current logo of Lacoste): © Mohamed Ahmed
Soliman/Dreamstime.com, (current logo of Mozilla Firefox): © Mohamed Ahmed Soliman/Dreamstime.com; p. 41 (Diego Maradona): © Alexander Mitr/Dreamstime.com, (Carl
Lewis): © Sbukley/Dreamstime.com, (Andre Agassi): © Sbukley/Dreamstime.com, (Michael Jordan): © Jerry Coli/Dreamstime.com, (Lance Armstrong): © Haggisnl (Lance
Armstrong Tour 2010 team presentation.jpg: CC BY 3.0), (Jack Nicklaus): © Jerry Coli/Dreamstime.com, (Michael Phelps): © Carrienelson1/Dreamstime.com, (Magnus Carlsen):
© Marina Bogumil/Dreamstime.com; pp. 41, 86 (Rahul Dravid): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (Rahul Dravid at GQ Men Of The Year 2012 AWARD.jpg: CC BY 3.0); p. 42 (SUV):
© Algre1/Dreamstime.com, (MUV): © Gennady Poddubny/Dreamstime.com, (vintage car): © Silvian Tomescu/Dreamstime.com, (hatchback): © Maksim Toome/Dreamstime.com,
(sedan): © Algre1/Dreamstime.com; p. 43 (logo of Jaguar): © Sergiy Palamarchuk/Dreamstime.com, (logo of Mercedes-Benz): © Hupeng/Dreamstime.com, (logo of Volkswagen):
© Ricochet69/Dreamstime.com, (logo of Audi): © Lysh2006/Dreamstime.com, (Solar-powered car): © PresseBO (PowerCore SunCruiser.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (amphibious car):
© Americanspirit/Dreamstime.com, (lunar rover): © Hecksone/Dreamstime.com, (stretch Limousine): © Hupeng/Dreamstime.com, (hybrid car): © Peanutroaster/Dreamstime.com;
p. 46 (solar energy): © Naruden/Dreamstime.com, (wind energy): © Denis Kelly/Dreamstime.com, (biomass energy): © Nostal6ie/Dreamstime.com, (tidal power): © Alexandr
Mitiuc/Dreamstime.com; p. 47 (geothermal energy): © Tatonka/Dreamstime.com, (crops): © Yoyopiticutz/Dreamstime.com; p. 50 (Wittenburg): © Doris Antony, Berlin (Wittenburg
town hall.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Mecca): © Aidar Ayazbayev/Dreamstime.com, (Lumbini): © Yves Picq http://veton.picq.fr (Nepal DSCN2126a.jpg: CC BY-SA 3.0), (Vatican City):
© Vladimir Mucibabic/Dreamstime.com; p. 51 (Western Wall): © Aleksandar Todorovic/Dreamstime.com, (Golden Temple): © Dmitry Rukhlenko/Dreamstime.com, (Shrine of the
Báb): © Stran9e/Dreamstime.com; p. 53 (Arthur Conan Doyle): Martin and Sallnow/Wellcome Collection. CC BY 4.0, (Devdutt Pattanaik): © Devdutt.pattanaik (Devdutt Pattanaik
02.jpg: CC BY-SA 4.0), (Jonathan Swift): © Georgios Kollidas/Dreamstime.com, (Jane Austen): © Georgios Kollidas/Dreamstime.com; pp. 53, 60 & 87 (Amitav Ghosh): © Gage
Skidmore/https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/33426398642/: CC BY-SA 2.0; pp. 53, 87 (Dan Brown): © Cellai Stefano/Dreamstime.com; p. 54 (London Bridge): © Mark
Eaton/Dreamstime.com, (Brooklyn Bridge): © Stuart Monk/Dreamstime.com, (Qingdao Haiwan Bridge): © Bjmcse/Dreamstime.com, (Bandra–Worli Sea Link): © Lukas Bischoff/
Dreamstime.com; p. 55 (Pearl Bridge): © Sean Pavone/Dreamstime.com, (Sydney Harbour Bridge): © Simone Bortignon/Dreamstime.com, (Howrah Bridge): © Roop Dey/
Dreamstime.com, (Millau Bridge): © Louis-martin Carrière/Dreamstime.com, (Golden Gate Bridge): © Debra Tosca/Dreamstime.com, (forms of bridges): © Aleksandra
Alekseeva/Dreamstime.com; p. 57 (Sergey Brin and Larry Page): © Joi Ito/https://www.flickr.com/photos/35034362831@N01/2505321929: CC BY 2.0; pp. 57, 87 (Sundar Pichai):
© Enriquecalvoal/Dreamstime.com, (Satya Nadela): © Drserg/Dreamstime.com; p. 58 (paragliding): © Rui Matos/Dreamstime.com, (ice climbing): © Arinahabich08/Dreamstime.
com, (bungee jumping): © Jessamine/Dreamstime.com, (skateboarding): © Blake Billings/Dreamstime.com, (sandboarding): © Smellme/Dreamstime.com, (surfing): © Chris Van
Lennep/Dreamstime.com, (motocross): © Ricky Corey/Dreamstime.com; p. 59 (spelunking): © Granitepeaker/Dreamstime.com, (skiing): © Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime.
com, (kayaking): © Maksym Topchii/Dreamstime.com, (snorkeling): © Alexander Shalamov/Dreamstime.com, (parasailing): © Kellydt/Dreamstime.com; p. 60 (Kiran Desai):
© Petitfrere/Dreamstime.com, (Salman Rushdie): © Markwaters/Dreamstime.com; p. 62 (Kathputli): © Roberto Faccenda/https://www.flickr.com/photos/
stefanedberg62/3502478312: CC BY-SA 2.0, (Ravanachhaya): Daderot/CC0, (Kundhei): © Subhashish Panigrahi (Sakhi Kandhei (String puppets of Odisha) at Raja Dinkar Kelkar
Museum, Pune.JPG: CC BY-SA 3.0); p. 64 (Christ the Redeemer): © Pixattitude/Dreamstime.com, (The Great Wall of China): © Silvershot55/Dreamstime.com, (Petra): © Milesfoto/
Dreamstime.com; pp. 64, 87 (Machu Picchu): © Diana Dunlap/Dreamstime.com; p. 65 (Pyramid at Chichén Itzá): © Dmitry Rukhlenko/Dreamstime.com, (Taj Mahal):
© Wisconsinart/Dreamstime.com; p. 67 (Tom Cruise): © Laurence Agron/Dreamstime.com, (Health Ledger): © Carrienelson1/Dreamstime.com, (Amir Khan): © Denis Makarenko/
Dreamstime.com, (Salman Khan): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (Salman Khan.jpg: CC BY 3.0), (Alia Bhatt): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (Alia Bhatt at press conference of
Student Of The Year & Aircel tie-up.jpg: CC BY 3.0), (Sanjay Dutt): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (SanjayDutt.jpg: CC BY 3.0), (Johnny Depp): © Featureflash/Dreamstime.com,
(Harrison Ford): © Carrienelson1/Dreamstime.com; p. 70 (chess pieces on chessboard): © Lnmstuff/Dreamstime.com, (chess moves 1): © Siedykholena/Dreamstime.com, (chess
moves 2): © Siedykholena/Dreamstime.com; p. 71 (Deep Blue): © Pedro Villavicencio/https://www.flickr.com/photos/pvillavi/3120753643: CC BY-SA 2.0, (chess pieces):
© Lnmstuff/Dreamstime.com, (Bobby Fischer): Punt, […]/ Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Public Domain, (Garry Kasparov): © Gage Skidmore/https://www.flickr.com/photos/
gageskidmore/37097592314: CC BY-SA 2.0, (Viswanathan Anand): © Grantotufo/Dreamstime.com; pp. 71, 87 (Anatoly Karpov): © Enriquecalvoal/Dreamstime.com; p. 72
(alligator): © Georgia Evans/Dreamstime.com, (compass): © Irochka/Dreamstime.com, (talons): © Torikell/Dreamstime.com; p. 73 (Diplodocus): © Caesarone/Dreamstime.com,
(milky way): © Denis Belitskiy/Dreamstime.com, (horizon): © Tom Dowd/Dreamstime.com; p. 74 (Stockholm Palace): © Anders Adermark/Dreamstime.com, (Presidential Office
Building, Taipei): © Pius Lee/Dreamstime.com, (Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires): © Lee Torrens/Dreamstime.com, (Grand Palace, Bangkok): © Natwmd/Dreamstime.com, (Prague
Castle, Prague): © Ladislav Soukup/Dreamstime.com, (The Kremlin, Moscow): © Wrangel/Dreamstime.com, (Buckingham Palace, London): © Dan Breckwoldt/Dreamstime.com,
(Palácio da Alvorada, Brasilia): © Pixattitude/Dreamstime.com, (Istana Nurul Iman Palace, Bandar Seri Begawan): © Max Daiber/Dreamstime.com; p. 75 (Barbie): © Mariel Alvarez/
Dreamstime.com, (frisbee): © Anasife/Dreamstime.com, (jigsaw): © Vladimir Mucibabic/Dreamstime.com, (Lego): © Edgars Sermulis/Dreamstime.com, (Erno Rubik): Babak
Mansouri/Public Domain, (Lonnie Johnson): U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released, (Mr Potato head): © Starletdarlene/Dreamstime.com; p. 76 (Shanghai Tower): © Craig
Hanson/Dreamstime.com, (One World Trade Centre): © Yelena Rodriguez/Dreamstime.com, (Burj Khalifa): © Petr Švec/Dreamstime.com, (Taipei 101): © Stefan Kho/Dreamstime.
com; p. 77 (Tokyo Skytree): © Torsakarin/Dreamstime.com, (petronas twin towers): © Juhku/Dreamstime.com, (World Trade Centre): © Freya Lloyd/Dreamstime.com, (Qutb

© Mykola Lytvynenko/Dreamstime.com; p. 79 (bungalow): © Katarzyna Bialasiewicz/Dreamstime.com, (bangle): © Olena Chilikina/Dreamstime.com, (jungle): © Oliver Nowak/
Dreamstime.com, (chutney): © Kcalpesh/Dreamstime.com, (shampoo): © Bruce Riccitelli/Dreamstime.com, (fruit punch): © Stephanie Berg/Dreamstime.com, (pyjamas): © Ruslan
Kudrin/Dreamstime.com, (chit): © Ruslanchik/Dreamstime.com; p. 80 (microwave): © Scanrail/Dreamstime.com, (velcro): © Joris Van Den Heuvel/Dreamstime.com, (artificial
sweetener): © Tine Grebenc/Dreamstime.com, (stainless steel): © Thomas Perkins/Dreamstime.com; p. 81 (Penicillin): © Photomak/Dreamstime.com, (superglue): © Mikhail
Olykainen/Dreamstime.com, (plastic): © Ia64/Dreamstime.com, (Teflon): © Juan Moyano/Dreamstime.com, (Post-it ® note): © Andrew7726/Dreamstime.com, (X-ray): © Itsmejust/
Dreamstime.com, (Coca-Cola®
(Bhimbetka rock shelters): © Samrat35/Dreamstime.com, (Sanchi Stupa): © Ugeshkumar/Dreamstime.com.
Mysterious space
Now that you are in class 5, are you all set to explore the
wonders of Quiz Land once again? Let’s start with the
mysterious sky. Find out how much you know about your
universe. In the following statements, mark the ones which
are facts with a [ ] and the ones which are not with a [ ].

1. All gas planets do not have rings.

2. The first artificial satellite to be launched into space was Sputnik 1.
3. The Earth’s orbit is circular in shape.
4. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the sun
and the Earth and blocks the light of the sun from reaching the Earth.
5. Mercury is the hottest planet in our solar system.
6. The scientific name for a shooting star is comet.
7. Pluto is no longer considered a planet.
8. The mass of the sun is 743 times the total mass of all the planets in the
solar system.
9. Craters are circular holes or depressions common on the moon and some
planets, occurring due to meteorite impact or volcanic explosions.
10. Andromeda is the star closest to our solar system.

Titbits
Tiny creatures called water bears or tardigrades are found in a variety
of habitats such as damp moss, flowering plants, sand, sea, and fresh
water. They can withstand very dry conditions, temperatures as low as
–272° C, and even being kept in a vacuum, by going into a resistant
state. They come back to life when they are brought back to room
temperature. Some scientists believe that they can live without water for decades. In
2007, the tardigrade became the first animal to survive exposure to space.
Wonderbirds
Birds have some very distinct features. Write the names of these birds with the help
of the given clues. Use the help box for your reference.

1. These birds, also called ‘bottlenose’ or ‘sea parrot’, are

distinguished by their large, brightly coloured, triangular beaks.
They can easily swim by using their wings to stroke underwater.
___________________

2. These large birds use their large elastic pouches to catch fish.
Most species fish in groups by forming a line or a ‘U’ shaped
formation to drive fishes into the shallow water, by beating
their wings on the surface. When fish get to the shallows,
they simply scoop them up. ___________________

3. These birds are found in American tropical forests. Their

oversized, colourful bills can be as long as one-third of their total
length. These birds use them to reach fruits on branches that are
too small to support their weight. ___________________
4. These long-necked, large birds are tall and live in freshwater
or wetlands and swamps. They can be identified by their long
legs, brightly coloured featherless heads, and prominent bills.
___________________
Identify these birds. Choose your answers from the help box.

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ______________ 4. ____________

rhea albatross kookaburra macaw

Furry friends
Identify these animals with the help of the given clues and images. Choose your
answers from the help box.
1. 1. Reared for its milk, hide, and also as a pack animal in
Tibet __________________
2. Solitary plant-eating animal with a short trunk,
found in the tropical forests of Malaysia and America
__________________
2.
3. Acrobatic mammal found in Southeast Asia, with a
human-like build and no tail __________________
4. Native to the Northern Hemisphere, a small, discrete,
and often nocturnal amphibious animal that is valued
for its luxurious fur __________________
3.
5. Largest of South America’s big cats that are good
swimmers __________________
6. Recognized by the black mask across its eyes and the
black bands around its bushy tail __________________
7. Omnivorous animals that have humped shoulders and
4.
elevated foreheads and feed on berries, plant roots and
shoots, fish, and small mammals __________________
8. The largest member of the deer family, found in the
Northern Hemisphere __________________

5. 6. 7. 8.

jaguar elk mink gibbon

yak tapir raccoon grizzly bear
Olympics track and field
Name the sports events shown in the following pictures. Use the words given in
the help box.

1. _________________ 2. _________________ 3. _________________

4. _________________ 5. _________________ 6. _________________

shot-put hammer throw long jump

hurdles javelin throw relay race

Titbits
When the Ethiopian long-distance runner Abebe Bikila arrived for the 1960 Olympic
Marathon, he was inexperienced and unknown to most. But he won the gold medal and
broke the world record with a time of 2 hours 15 minutes 16.2 seconds. What is more
impressive is that he achieved this by running barefoot. Four years later, he won the
marathon again, this time only six weeks after an appendix operation. With this he also
became the first East African to win a medal at the Olympics.
Write the names of these famous Olympic athletes. Choose your
answers from the help box.
1. Known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, he represented India in the
1960 Olympics in Rome and in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
_________________________________

2. She was voted as the greatest female athlete of

the 20th century by the Sports Illustrated for Women
magazine. _________________________________

3. He won the 5,000 m, the 10,000 m, and the marathon at the same
Olympic Games in 1952, in Helsinki. He had a unique running
style. The nickname ‘Czech Locomotive’ came from his peculiar
running style, where he would pant and wheeze looking
shattered during a race. _____________________________

4. This pole vaulter was repeatedly voted the world’s best athlete.
He won six consecutive IAAF (International Association of
Athletics Federation) World Championships, an Olympic gold,
and broke the world record 35 times.
_________________________________

5. He became the first man in history to win and set world records
in the 100 m, 200 m, and, along with his teammates, the 4 × 100 m
relay at a single Olympics, in Beijing in 2008. He went on to claim
three gold medals in these events at the 2012 London Olympics, as
well as at the 2016 Rio Games. _____________________________

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Usain Bolt Milkha Singh Emil Zátopek Sergey Bubka

Titbits
Despite having a wooden leg, the American gymnast George Eyser, won six gold
medals at the 1904 Olympics. Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto broke a kneecap while
competing in the 1976 Olympics. But he chose to ignore the terrible pain and carried on
and won a gold medal. A year before the 2000 Olympics, an accident left French shooter
Franck Dumoulin temporarily wheelchair-bound. He recovered and not only competed but
also won a gold medal.
Know your flag
Answer the following questions.

1. In which year was the tricolour flag (then known as the Swaraj flag) officially
adopted at a session of the Indian National Congress? ________________

2. When was the national flag, in its present form, adopted? ________________

3. What is the ratio of the width of the national flag to its length? _______________

4. How many spokes are there in the Ashoka Chakra seen on the national flag of
India? ________________

5. What does the Ashoka Chakra in our national flag depict? ________________

6. By what name is our national flag popularly known in Hindi? ________________

7. In the event of the death of which dignitaries is the flag half-masted (flag flown
below the top) throughout India? ________________

Titbits
To put an end to the confusion regarding the display of the national flag of India, the
government of India came up with the Flag Code of India in 2002. It includs detailed
information ranging from the shape, size, and colour of the flag to the list of organizations
which can rightfully display it.
 Making faces
Want to draw your own cartoons? To get the right facial expressions
on your cartoon characters, most of the time all you have to do is to
change the position of the eyebrows and the mouth. Here are some
examples you can try.
ACTIV ITY

A raised eyebrow A-shaped eyebrows To draw an angry face, Eyebrows high up in

and a crooked with an open show the teeth and the forehead, and
mouth can mouth is perfect V-shaped eyebrows, an O-shaped mouth,
express suspicion. for a scared set low over the eyes. and you have a
expression. surprised face.

To show sadness, Straight eyebrows (or And here is the most simple
A-shaped eyebrows maybe no eyebrows at all) one—a mouth curved
and a mouth curved and a straight mouth is for upward and eyebrows curved
downward work best. a calm expression. downward for a happy face.

Now try your own combination of different positions of the eyebrows

and the mouth on a smiley, to create many different expressions.
Here are some other tricks you can try to get the right expressions on
your cartoons—
1. Eyes set far apart express confidence.
2. Eyes set close together express shyness.
3. Parts of the face drawn at the bottom of the face make a clever face.
4. Parts of the face drawn at the top make it look smug.
5. A pear-shaped face looks sad.
6. A star-shaped face can express excessive energy.
How is a book made?
Do you know how many people are involved in the process of publishing a book?
How long do you think it takes for an author’s vision to take the actual shape of
a book? Here is a brief introduction to the process of making a book.

At the publishing
Time
It all begins house, an editor reads the
to send my with the writers penning manuscript, and if the editor likes
book to a down their ideas. Writing can
publisher.
it, he or she asks the publisher to
take a long time. The author has to publish the book. Only when the
do a lot of research, revise the text, publisher is sure that it is a good
and edit the book before it is finally book will he or she publish it.
complete. Once the author is
happy with the work,
a copy of it, called a
manuscript, Will this
book sell?
is sent to a
publisher.

oI
How d
fix t is
h
nce?
sente

Meanwhile, the
designer comes up
with a good design for
the book. Later the text
and images are arranged
Once the manuscript is
in a form of print-ready
finalized, the editor works with
pages. To make the book error-free,
the writer and makes necessary
the first draft of the printed book is
changes. The editors make sure
reviewed by proofreaders. They
that the text doesn’t have
check the entire book very
any factual or grammatical
minutely, including words,
errors.
images, figures,
and tables.
 We
et
ll s
It is now are a ook
e b
the responsibility for th h!
Once all the la c
u n

pages of the book are of the marketing

and publicity
finalized, they are given to the
printer. At the printing press, the department to capture
pages are printed on huge printing the interest of the people,
machines. The paper is then folded even before the product
in the correct order, bound inside the has been released in the
covers, and trimmed to size. market. They arrange
The writer’s manuscript is for book launch parties. They also make sure
that the book gets reviewed in newspapers
now a real book!
or magazines.

The finished
books are delivered
to bookshop and libraries
all over the country and
sometimes around the world!
The sales team works hard to
push the book sales. At the end
of every season, a part of the

Q u i czk
money the publisher earns from the
sale of each book goes to the

qui
author as royalty.

Answer the following questions.

1. What is a book with a soft paper cover called? ___________________
2. Who invented the mechanized printing press? ___________________
3. At the end of many books you will find a list of the words with page numbers of
where the words appear in the book. What is this list called?
___________________
4. What is an introduction to the book by an eminent personality called?
__________________
Parliaments of different countries
Given below are the images of the parliament buildings of different countries. Help
Knowy to find out which countries they belong to.

1. _________________ 2. _________________ 3. _________________

4. _________________ 5. _________________ 6. _________________

7. _________________ 8. _________________ 9. _________________

China Britain Israel Russia Spain India Bangladesh Denmark Japan

How body works
Use the clues to identify the terms associated with our body.

1. This muscle is present in your upper arm. B ___ C ___ ___ S

2. This is the opening through which light can enter your eye. P ___ P ___ L
3. This is the coloured part of your eye. ___ R ___ S
4. These cells carry oxygen through your body.
R ___ ___ B ___ OO ___ C ___ ___ L ___
5. This part of the brain controls movement and balance.
C ___ R ___ B ___ ___ L ___ M
6. White blood cells are made here. B ___ ___ E MA ___ ___ O ___
7. This organ is called the voice box. It helps us to produce sound.
L ___ RY ___ ___
8. These are raised hair or spots on the skin caused by cold, fear, or sudden
excitement. G ___ ___ SEB ___ M ___ S
9. This is the largest internal organ in our body. L ___ ___ E ___
10. The smallest bone in our body, called the stirrup, is present here. E ___ ___
11. They are the largest teeth that do not appear until you are an adult.
W ___ S ___ ___ M T ___ ___ TH
12. This is the protective coating that encloses most nerve fibres.
MY ___ L ___ N S ___ EA ___ ___

Titbits
In a lifespan of 70 years, the heart will pump more than 132 million litres of blood and
beat 2.5 billion times.
 WORD GAME
Marine life
Circle all of the listed words that are hidden in the grid. Look for words
across, down, and also diagonally. Two have been done for you.

S S S E A L S D M C T G H R E

T E S A C C P A O U R S D O C

I A T C R O R O B L I A W H S

N T L A A L D I R F P S B N E
sea otter G U B O I L L C N P T H I S A
manatee
R R O L B A L W L A O U I E L

A T C A H S O O R A G I L N I

Y L T M A L T F P N M A S Y O

O E O P C N I E E I H S T E N

Y S P R E S U P R W N W A T S

S P U E H M A N A T E E M U Q

barracuda T O S Y B A R R A C U D A N U
oyster
E N S H E L L F I S H H L A I

R G A R S E A O T T E R C L D

K E A N C H O V Y W A L R U S

clown fish lobster sea turtle

cod manatee seals
clownfish barracuda octopus shellfish
clam oyster sponge
scallop
anchovy penguin squid
crab porpoise stingray
dolphin scallop tuna
halibut sea lion walrus
lamprey
lamprey sea otter whale walrus
Champions of change
These people made a difference to the world by bringing about reforms in society.
Identify these social reformers with the help of the given clues. Choose your
answers from the help box.
1. He challenged traditional Hindu culture, denounced the caste system,
and formed the Brahmo Samaj, a Hindu reformist sect. His efforts led
to the prohibition of the custom of sati. _________________
2. His efforts led to legalization of widow remarriage in
India. He promoted the education of girls and strongly opposed
child marriage and polygamy. _________________

3. He made efforts to combine Indian spirituality with Western material

progress and dedicated his life towards elimination of child marriage
and illiteracy in India. He strongly promoted education among
women and lower castes. _________________

4. She dedicated her life to charity and to look after the sick and
the poor. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
_________________

5. He gave up his legal career to devote his life to take care of leprosy
patients. Later, he founded an ashram dedicated to the treatment and
rehabilitation of these patients. _________________

6. He fought against child labour and advocated the universal right to

education. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan. In 2014, he was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. _________________
Are there any social
reformers living in
your city? Talk about
Mother Teresa Raja Ram Mohan Roy their good work.
Swami Vivekananda Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Kailash Satyarthi Baba Amte
Tops at table tennis
Want to learn table tennis? Here is a beginner’s guide to help you get started. Table
tennis is an indoor sport played between two players or teams. To play this game,
you will need a couple of table tennis bats (also called rackets), a ball, and a
special table.
The aim of the game is to make the ball go over the net
to the opponent’s half, so that the opponent cannot Net
Loosely stitched divider across
reach or return the ball over the net and on the table. the middle of the table over
which players hit the ball

Side line
The table
A flat rectangular wooden table Line marking the sides
of the playing surface
(2.74 m long × 1.525 m wide × 76 cm
high) with a net dividing it into two halves

Playing surface
Tabletop with marked edges
and lines within which players
hit the ball

Centre line
3 mm line which divides
each half of the table into
two, across which the serve
End line is made by the player
Marks the back line of the
serving zone and the end of
the playing surface

Titbits
The first Table Tennis World Cup was held in 1980. Table tennis became an Olympic
sport in 1988. A Grand Slam is earned by a player who wins singles titles in the
Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup.
 Identify these table tennis stars. Choose the correct answers from the help box.

1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________

Net support
15.25 cm high vertical
piece, used to stretch
the net along the table
using white tape Fan Zhendong (China)
Ma Long (China)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Germany)

Restriction
While the ball is in play, players
cannot move the table and touch the
surface or net

Titbits
The world’s longest table
tennis rally was played
between Daniel Ives and Peter
Ives, both from Britain, in
2014. It lasted for 8 hours 40
minutes and 5 seconds.
Tick ( ) the correct answers.
1. In which city was the first Table Tennis World Championship held?
a) Paris b) London c) Beijing d) Tokyo
2. Today’s tennis balls are made of celluloid plastic. What were they originally
made of?
a) cork b) wood c) rubber d) all of these
Great Indian scientists
Use the clues to identify the Indian mathematicians and scientists whose
contributions have benefitted humanity through the ages.
1. He was a great ancient Indian astronomer and mathematician
known for his work on the revolution of the earth, prediction of
eclipses, and the use of place value in number systems. India’s first
satellite was named after him. _________________
2. He was the principal contributor and practitioner of the ancient Aryabhata

system of Indian medicine, called Ayurveda, and wrote a book on

it. __________________
3. His groundbreaking work was in shalya tantra—curing
patients through surgeries. He developed various unique
techniques to dissect the human body and study its structure.
__________________ Charaka

4. He was an outstanding Indian astronomer and mathematician,

who also had a thorough knowledge of western astronomy. He is
known for his book Pancha-siddhantika, a detailed study of western
and Indian astronomy. __________________
5. He was an Indian astronomer and mathematician of the 7th
century. His major work includes the books the Mahabhaskariya Sushruta

and Laghubhaskariya, that dealt with the longitudes of

planets, solar and lunar eclipses, and the phases of the moon.
__________________
6. He was an ancient Indian astronomer of the 6th century, known for his book
Brahma-sphuta-siddhanta, an astronomical work. He defined zero as the result of
subtracting a number from itself. __________________

Titbits
Ayurveda is the traditional system of Indian medicine. It is widely practised in various
parts of Asia and is used to prevent and treat various diseases. This age-long field of
medicine originated in India, perhaps as early as 3,000 years ago.
Brain teasers
Answer the following riddles.
1. Write down the first letter of each word from the following sentence to make
the abbreviation of a space science agency of international repute. Also write the
full form of this agency.
Nature’s anger silences all. ___ ___ ___ ___
________________ _________________ and ________________ ________________

2. Unscramble the words in the following sentence to make it meaningful.

Srinivasa Ramanujan was a onrewend Indian amhetmtaicnai.
________________ , ________________

3. Five boys named A, B, C, D, and E were eating five bananas. D finishes his
banana before A but after C. E finishes his banana before B but after A. Write
down the order in which they finish their bananas.
___, ___, ___, ___, ___

4. Aman tells Natasha, ‘Your brother is the son of my father’s sister.’ How is
Natasha related to Aman’s father? ____________

5. What is it that never gets hurt when it falls? ________________

6. What has a neck but no head? ________________

7. What has a head and a tail but no legs? ________________

8. Make the word TORN from the word CONE by changing one letter at a time.
On changing the letter the word should still make sense.

C O N E
— — — —
— — — —
T O R N
Animals in danger
Many animal species are rapidly disappearing from the earth. These animals are
called endangered animals. Read about some endangered animals here, and find out
why they are disappearing.
Black rhinoceros, the
Pangolins, also smaller of the two African species,
called scaly anteaters, are found in different parts of the
curl into a ball when threatened. African subcontinent. These animals are
Some pangolins, such as the African critically endangered, due to extensive
black-bellied pangolin, live entirely in hunting and threat to their natural habitat.
trees. Others live on land. All pangolin Large-scale poaching is also a major threat
species are hunted for to black rhinos as they are killed mostly
their meat. Their skin for their horns,
and scales are used in which are used for
traditional medicines. making traditional
As a result, pangolins medicines or
have become highly ornaments.
endangered.

Leatherback sea turtles are Orangutans, known for their

named so because they have leather- distinctive red fur, are the largest
like shells. They are the world’s largest mammals living in the trees. They are
sea turtle species. They are very important found in rainforests on the Southeast Asian
for marine life as they eat species of jellyfish islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Orangutans
and keep their numbers in check. Increased have been classified as critically endangered
egg collection and capture have led to a steady animals, with their numbers declining
decline in their number, drastically over the years because of
making leatherback habitat loss and
turtles critically hunting.
endangered now.
 Asian elephants
Red pandas, with have been revered for
a length of about two centuries in Asia as they play an
feet, are only slightly larger than important role in the continent’s culture
domestic cats and have bear-like bodies and religion. Smaller than their African
with thick red fur. They mostly live in trees, counterpart, Asian elephants can be identified
and more than half of by their smaller, rounder ears. Habitat loss due
them are found in the to expanding human settlements, agricultural
Eastern Himalayas. plantations, and large developmental works like
Less than 10,000 of dams have led to a decrease in their numbers.
them exist in the wild. Poaching too is a major threat to elephants
The loss of trees and in Asia as they are killed for their ivory
bamboo in forests tusks, meat, leather, and
has caused a huge other products.
decline in the red panda’s
population.

u
Q zi c k
qui
Answer the following questions.
1. Which animal makes the longest migration? _______________
2. On which continent will you find the rare black spider monkey? ____________
3. Which subspecies of tigers is the largest of all? ___________________
4. Which endangered toothed whale is the largest? ___________________
5. The cape hunting dogs or hyena dogs are one of the world’s most endangered
animals and differ from other dogs in having only four toes on each foot. On
which continent are they found? ___________________
6. Name the apes, also called pygmy chimpanzees, which are found only in the
rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ___________________

sperm whale bonobo Arctic tern

Africa South America Siberian
Epic sagas
The term ‘epic’ refers to long narrative poems, movies, or novels describing heroic
deeds. Most epics are legendary tales about the glories and deeds of heroes from
mythology and history. Name the authors of these famous epics.

1. The ancient Greek epic, the Iliad is the story of Achilles, of his anger and
determination, and how he slew the Trojan hero Hector. ______________

2. The Ramayana is an Indian epic written in Sanskrit. It tells the story of Rama, Sita,
and Lakshmana of Ayodhya, which includes Rama’s victory over Ravana, and
their lives thereafter. ______________

3. Orlando furioso is an Italian epic about the war between Christians and pagans.
______________

4. This poet wrote the Aeneid, a Latin epic poem describing the legends of Aeneas.
It was written between the 30th and 19th century BCE. ______________

5. Paradise Lost, considered to be one of the greatest poems in the English

language, is a 17th century poem. It narrates the biblical story of the fall of the
angels and the creation of Adam and Eve. ______________

6. The Divine Comedy is a 14th century epic. It is divided into three major parts—
Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. In the epic, the poet is guided by Virgil from
hell to heaven. ______________

Titbits
Homer is believed to have been a blind poet, wandering from place to
place reciting poems. Some scholars believe that the epics were not
written by any one person but are a compilation of stories by different
people over a period of time.
Homer
Give one-word answers to these questions, based on religious books and scriptures.

1. What is the name of the scriptural work whose theme is Krishna’s response
to Arjuna’s concerns about killing the members of his family in the ensuing
Mahabharata war? ___________________

2. Which god is Arjuna’s father in the Mahabharata? ___________________

3. Who helps Ravana in capturing Sita?

___________________

4. What was the name of the account written by

Ashvaghosha on the life and teachings of Buddha?
___________________

5. Which piece of his wife’s jewellery does Kovalan, the hero in the Tamil epic
Chilappatikaram, try to sell to an evil goldsmith for which he is accused of being
a thief? ___________________

6. In the epic Man. , the heroine of the same name goes to Vanchi to
perform penance. Vanchi served as the capital of which great dynasty?
___________________

7. The legends of the ancestors of which avatar of Vishnu are narrated in

Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsha? ___________________

8. In which language were the Ramayana and the Mahabharata first written?
___________________

9. In the Ramayana, who cuts off Surpanakha’s nose? ___________________

10. In the Mahabharata, who was Karna’s mother? ___________________

Titbits
Did you know that the Mahabharata is the longest poem ever to be
written? The book currently contains about 1,00,000
or stanzas.
 QUIZ YOURSEL F 1
1. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal?
_______________
2. Which team won the UEFA European Championship 2016? _______________
3. Which is the most populated country in the world? _______________
4. Which Indian freedom fighter is also known as ‘Punjab Kesari’? _______________
5. In which city of India will you find the famous Marina Beach? _______________
6. 10 Downing Street is the official residence of which country’s prime minister?
_______________
7. Which is the smallest country in the world? _______________
8. What is the full form of GPS—the satellite-based navigation and location
system? _______________
9. Which medical speciality deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of
the heart and blood vessels? _______________
10. Which IT company was co-founded by NR Narayana Murthy, which later
became the first Indian company to be listed on an American stock exchange?
_______________
11. Who was the eldest Kaurava in the Mahabharata? _______________
12. Who is the author of the book A Tale of Two Cities? _______________
13. With which sport is the Durand Cup associated? _______________
14. In a division problem, the remainder is greater than the divisor. Is it true or
false? _______________
15. Who was the first non-European and non-white to win the Nobel Prize in any
category? _______________

How many did you get right?

What your score means: 13–15: ; 9–12: ; 5–8: ; 0–4:

Logical reasoning I
Answer the following questions.
1. Examine the following grid and identify which number should replace the
question mark?
11
23
?
42
54
65

2. Complete the number series by filling the missing numbers.

6, 17, 50, 149, _____, ______.
3. What should be added to the greatest four-digit number to make it the smallest
five-digit number?
4. Which is the odd one out among the following?
a) (8-72) b) (6-42) c) (9-81) d) (7-56)
5. In Roman numerals, the Red Fort was built in MDCXLVIII. Which year does it
represent?
6. Measure the given lines and choose the correct option.

A B C
a) A is longer than B and C b) A, B, and C are of the same size
c) C is longer than A and B
7. Observe the given figure and choose the correct option.
A B

C D

a) AB is longer b) CD is longer c) Both are of the same size

8. Fill the given grid with numbers 1 to 9. Make sure that each 4
row and the two diagonals have the same total. 5
6
Airports of the world
Can you name these airports?
1. The international airport at Kolkata has been named
Titbits
after an Indian freedom fighter, famous for his The Kansai Airport, in
motivational slogan ‘Dilli chalo’. Japan, is built entirely
_______________________________________________ on an artificial island,
so that it can operate
2. This international airport in New Orleans, Louisiana, is
24 hours a day without
named after a famous jazz singer. disturbing people with
_______________________________________________ the noise.
3. This international airport in Austria is named after
a renowned Western classical music composer.
_______________________________________________
4. Named after a former president of France, this is the
main airport of Paris.
_______________________________________________
5. The international airport in Serbia is named after the pioneer of AC electrical
supply systems. _______________________________________________
Name the airlines whose logos are given below.

1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________ 4. ______________

Match these airports with the countries they belong to.

1. Frankfurt Airport a) Japan
2. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport b) Thailand
3. Suvarnabhumi Airport c) Germany
4. Narita International Airport d) Philippines
5. Ninoy Aquino International Airport e) Indonesia
Homonyms
Words which have the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings are
called homonyms. Each of the given sentences contains two homonyms. Read the
sentences carefully and tick ( ) the correct answers.

1. Keshav went to the market in the evening to buy some (stationery/stationary)

for school.

2. Aditya had to return his dog’s collar, which he had bought online, because it
was too (lose/loose).

3. Radha’s teacher told her that the (principle/principal) wanted her to represent
the school in an art competition.

4. The lioness hunts her (pray/prey) by crouching low in the grass until she gets
close enough to pounce on it.

5. Rakesh’s family stayed in a (suite/sweet) on the topmost floor of a hotel, when

they went on vacation.

6. The (sale/sail) in the marketplace never fails to attract a huge rush on

weekends.

7. The tired travellers decided to stop at the roadside (inn/in) to rest, before they
continued their journey to the city.

8. The bus conductor insisted that all passengers pay the (fair/fare) when they
boarded the bus.

9. The (coarse/course) material of the shirt gave Aayan a rash on his shoulders.

10. Strawberries and cream (complement/compliment) each other very well.

Traditional paintings of India
How much do you really know about Indian paintings? Read this to know about
the different styles of traditional Indian paintings.
Madhubani
painting has striking
Pattachitra
is derived from geometrical patterns, which
are traditionally done on a freshly
the words and .
plastered or mud wall with natural dyes
means canvas and
means picture. Most of the themes of and pigments. The paintings are basically of
a ritual nature for particular occasions, such as
traditional pattachitra are based on Hindu
birth, marriage, and festivals. The main feature
mythology. This form of cloth-based scroll
painting is mainly rooted in Odisha. of this style, from the Mithila region of Bihar, is
that it usually leaves
no empty space on
the canvas.

Tanjore painting
originated in Thanjavur, a
region in Tamil Nadu. Tanjore Warli folk painting
paintings, which mainly depict does not show images of deities or
sacred icons, are made by placing mythological characters. Instead, it is
layers of cloth on a a depiction of the daily lives and social
wooden plank. They events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra.
also use rich and vivid Warli paintings use mostly white colour, with
colours, gold foil, occasional dots in red and yellow, on a mud
inlays of glass, and base. Warli paintings
even semi-precious are usually painted
stones. by women.
 Miniature
painting, finely The name ,
wrought and minutely a technique of printing
detailed painting, flourished in the fabric, comes from the Sanskrit
Mughal period. It also became very term . Parts of the cloth
popular in the Rajputana kingdoms, where are pinched and tied up
many styles and schools of miniature painting before dyeing so that
flourished. The paintings are made on ivory when the cloth is dried,
panels, leather, marble, cloth, walls, wooden the tied parts form
tablets, and paper. Colours made from precious patterns. Bandhani cloth
stones, vegetables and minerals, as well as pure is considered to be a
gold and silver are used. Court scenes and symbol of girlhood
hunting expeditions of kings are often the and love.
themes of these paintings.

Kalamkari, meaning artwork

using a pen, is formed from two
words— (pen) and (work).
The artist uses a bamboo pen or
and natural dyes to paint on cotton or
silk fabric.
The kalamkari
tradition chiefly
consists of
scenes from
Hindu

u
Q zi c k mythology.

qui
Answer the following questions.
1. What is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting called? ______________
2. Which style of embroidery is done with white cotton threads on plain muslin
cloth? Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh, is the chief centre of this style. ______________
3. Which Kashmiri papier mâché art form uses flower motifs and is made on
paper pulp objects? ______________
4. Name the famous form of embroidery from Punjab, which literally
means ‘floral craft’. ______________
Making a birdy ban
k
nk.
T O DO
how yo u can m ak e your own birdy ba
Here is
ed
Things you will ne
e
balloon, three bottl
Old newspapers, a
or co rk s of th e same size, a pair of
caps r,
, your paint kit, flou
scissors, a penknife
and water
To do
d tie a kn ot at the end carefully.
an
1. Inflate the balloon
he at fiv e cu ps of water and one cup
2. Ask an adult to til l the solution becom
es a
il co nt in uo us ly
of flour. Bo pa ste cool down complete
ly
re to le t th e
thick paste. Be su
before you use it.
the
e n ew sp ap er in to small pieces. Soak
3. Tear th
pieces in the paste.
co m pl et el y w ith layers of the soaked
4. Cover the balloon e knotted end of the
balloon
ke ep in g ju st th
paper paste,
dry.
free. Let the balloon
e
n co m pl etel y dr y, the paper pulp past
5. Whe
th e sh ap e of th e balloon. Now pop
will take
.
the balloon carefully
a
el p of an ad ul t to sharpen a cork with
6. Take the h cork at
ak e it lo ok lik e a bird’s beak. Fit the
penknife, to m ur m on ey in through here.
w ill pu t yo
the open end. You
the
th e re m ai ni ng co rks at the bottom as
7. Stick
feet of the bird.
r th e bi rd , dr aw its eyes and wings.
8. Colou ank!
st ar t sa vi ng m on ey in your birdy b
Now
Rivers of India
Complete the following table by filling in the empty columns.

River Where it originates Where it ends

1. Lake Manasarowar Arabian Sea

(Tibet)

2. Ganges

3. Yamuna Merges with the Ganga

(Allahabad)

4. Brahmaputra Merges with the Ganga

(empties into the Bay of Bengal)

5. Rohtang Pass Merges with the Sutlej (Punjab)

(Himachal Pradesh)

6. Mahi Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat)

7. Mahanadi near Dhamtari

district
(Chhattisgarh)

8. Krishna Bay of Bengal

9. Gawilgarh Hills Arabian Sea

(Madhya Pradesh)

10. Narmada Arabian Sea

11. Godavari Bay of Bengal

12. Kaveri Brahmagiri hill

(Karnataka)
Miracles of nature
Besides providing us food and raw materials, some plants also have medicinal
properties. Read about some such plants here.

Aloe vera is Indian ginseng

believed to help people ( ) is a
stay young. It has a positive medicinal herb, used for the
effect on the skin. The juice of this treatment of intestinal infections,
plant is used for making cosmetics and nervous disorders, and leprosy. All the
medicines for treating burns. Aloe vera parts of the plant, including the roots, bark,
also exhibits other healing qualities, leaves, fruits, and seeds, are used for medicinal
like lowering blood-glucose levels purposes.
in diabetic patients and reducing
arthritic
swelling.

Sandalwood
( ) is believed Indian
to have many medicinal gooseberry ( ) is a
properties. It is commonly used rich source of vitamin C. It is
to cure various skin disorders, used to treat jaundice and diarrhoea.
treat patients with It also helps to get rid of cough and
urinary tract cold
infection, and
soothe burning
sensations.
 Wild turmeric
Cinnamon
( ) is a medicinal
( ) is a spice that we
herb with special antibiotic
are all familiar with when it comes
and antiseptic properties. It
to desserts and pastries. But it is also
helps in treating digestive and
believed to have medicinal properties.
liver problems, wounds, and skin
It helps to treat respiratory and digestive
diseases.
ailments.

u
Q zi c k
qui
Answer the following questions.
1. Of the four systems of medicine—Ayurveda, Allopathy, Unani, and
Siddha, which system does not entirely depend on the medicinal
properties of plants? ________________________
2. Match the medicinal plants with the diseases they are commonly used to
treat by writing the correct letters in the given boxes.
Plant Remedy for
a) bhringraj i) skin diseases
b) amla ii) cough and cold
c) tulsi iii) hair loss
d) isabgol iv) scurvy
e) neem v) constipation
f) clove vi) toothache
 WORD GAME
Word ladder
Use the clues to change the top word in the ladder into a new word by
changing only one alphabet each time.

1. a healthy drink
MILK
2. where flour is made

3. the determination to do something

4. a boundary

5. to go on foot

6. to communicate by speaking

7. not short

8. to go down quickly

9. not succeed

10. a silvery sheet to cover and keep food fresh

11. to work hard

12. the money paid when crossing a bridge or a highway

13. to let someone know

14. that which chimes, usually found in a church or a temple

15. a piece of leather or fabric that you wear around BELT

your waist
Golden voices of a bygone era
Identify and name these legendary singers. You may choose your answers from the
help box.

1. _________________ 2. _________________ 3. _________________

4. _________________ 5. _________________ 6. _________________

Bhupen Hazarika Asha Bhosle

Pandit Jasraj Elton John

Jagjit Singh Frank Sinatra

7. _________________
M Balamuralikrishna

Titbits
There are two principal types of Indian classical music—Carnatic and Hindustani.
Hindustani music is practised mainly in northern India whereas Carnatic music is more
popular in southern India. Hindustani music reflects Persian and Arab musical influences
from medieval times. In Carnatic music, most compositions, which are rhythm intensive
and structured, are meant to be sung, and even if purely instrumental, are meant to be
performed in the or singing style. In Hindustani music, melodic improvisation plays
a big role, and vocal and instrumental music can have distinct styles.
Logos and symbols
Match the products with their company name and logos.

Name of the company Product Logo of the company

a) International
Business
1. a clothing company
Machines
Corporation i)

b) Lacoste 2. a web browser

ii)

c) Mozilla 3. a consumer electronics

Foundation company
iii)

4. a computer software and

d) HSBC
hardware company

iv)

e) Apple Inc. 5. a banking company

v)
Sporting legends
Identify these famous sportspersons. Choose your answers from the help box. Also,
name the sports that they played.

1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________ Rahul Dravid

______________ ______________ ______________ Diego Maradona

Michael Jordan
Jack Nicklaus
Magnus Carlsen
Carl Lewis
Andre Agassi
4. ______________ 5. ______________ 6. _____________
Lance Armstrong
______________ ______________ _____________

7. ______________ 8. ______________
______________ ______________

Titbits
Michael Phelps is an American swimmer with 28 Olympic medals, which include 23 gold.
At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he became the first athlete to win eight gold medals at
a single Olympics. At the 2012 Olympics in London, he became the first male swimmer
to win gold at the same individual event at three consecutive Olympics.
The moving machines
Imagine what life must have been like before cars were invented. In what ways
have cars changed our lives since then? Learn more about these wonder machines
on wheels here.

Windscreen
Protective glass
Titbits Windscreen wiper
Cleans the windshield
and plastic pane

Washer nozzle
Early cars were Squirts cleaning liquid
very expensive on the windshield
and difficult to
Bonnet
drive. In 1908, Henry Ford Lid-like covering which
designed a car called the protects the engine

Model T, which people could

afford. In the next 19 years,
Grill
he sold 1,55,00,000 of the Protects the
cars in the United States, radiator

almost 10,00,000 more in

Canada, and 2,50,000 in
Great Britain.
Headlight
Lamp on the front
of the vehicle

Wing
Part of the body forming a
Some types of cars casing around the wheels

Sedan Hatchback SUV MUV Sports car

It is a car that can seat It is a car with a door (Sports Utility Vehicle) (Multi Utility Vehicle) It is a two-seater
four or more people and at the back end, which It is a car that has This spacious high-speed car.
has an extended boot. opens upwards. been designed for car is capable of
rough surfaces. It carrying five to
is designed to carry eight passengers or
passengers as well luggage with foldable
as cargo. seats. It is designed
for long-distance
comfort.
 Unusual cars

Solar-powered cars Stretch limousine Amphibious car Lunar rover

These cars have solar panels These mostly carry famous people. This car is as efficient in The Lunar Rover, also
which turn sunlight into Usually black or white, these can water as it is on the road. known as moon buggy, was
electricity that drives the cars. seat up to ten passengers. the first car on the moon!

Sunroof
Movable part in the Aerial
roof that opens up To receive radio

Titbits
waves broadcast
Drip moulding
Small open canal that
captures and drains
rainwater from the roof
In a hybrid car, the
engine can run on two
or more sources of
Boot
Enclosed space at the back of power—one being the
the vehicle to hold cargo conventional internal
combustion engine and
the other a different
Fuel tank flap
Flap concealing
power source.
the fuel tank
opening

.
Tyre Wheel trim
Door
Metal or plastic part
concealing the wheel hub
Body side Door lock
moulding
Metal or plastic part
to protect against
light impact

Answer these questions.

1. Who started the car company Ford? __________________________________
2. Which of the following companies is not a manufacturer of motorbikes?
a) Suzuki b) BMW c) Bristol d) Peugeot
3. Name the car brands from their logos given below.

a) __________ b) _________ c) __________ d) _________

Dodge the disaster
Play this board game with a friend to find out how prepared you are to dodge a
disaster. Begin from Start. The one who reaches the End first is the winner.

58 57 56
After the tsunami,
You live near a volcano. when your family is
You regularly distribute
d asked to evacuate,

En pamphlets that inform

everyone about the
you leave the
disaster kit behind.
city’s evacuation route.

41 42 44

40 39 37 36 There is
You smell gas You can feel the a thunderstorm
in your house right tremors of an outside. You decide
after the earthquake earthquake. You to go out and get
and immediately get
warn others not to drenched.
everyone out of
the building. get into an elevator.

21 22 24 25

20 19 17 16
After the flood,
you warn your
little brother not
to touch any
electrical point.

2 4 5
r t The house is on

Sta
fire! You insist that
everyone leaves the
house immediately
instead of looking
for things.
 54 53 52
You live near the
51
There is a tsunami
warning. You make coast and listen to the
plans with your friends TV and radio regularly
to go to the beach to for cyclone warnings.
take some photographs. You inform others too!

46 47 50
In winter, whenever
you go out, you are
always well-equipped
to fight a winter storm.

33 32 31
While in the park,
you are caught in
a thunderstorm.
You lie flat on the
ground.

26 28 30
A tornado is
approaching! You
do not move away
from the window.

14 11
There is a flood
warning. You
immediately
put together an
emergency kit.

6 8 10