Chapter 1

Who Did Patrick’s Homework?

WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1. What did Patrick think his cat was playing with? What was it really? (Refer to paragraph 2)
Answer:Patrick thought his cat was playing with a little doll. But it was really a tiny man — an elf!

2. Why did the little man grant Patrick a wish? (Refer to paragraph 2)
Answer:The little man (elf) granted Patrick a wish because Patrick saved him from the cat.

3. What was Patrick’s wish? (Refer to paragraph 3)
Answer:Patrick wished that the little man would do all his homework till the end of the semester, which was 35 days.

4. In what subjects did the little man need help, to do Patrick’s homework? (Refer to paragraphs 5 and 6)
Answer:The little man needed help with English (words and reading), Maths (tables, addition, subtraction, division, fractions), and Human History.

5. How did Patrick help him? (Refer to paragraph 7)
Answer:Patrick helped the elf by bringing books, looking up words in the dictionary, reading out loud, and sitting beside him to guide him through the work.

6. Who do you think did Patrick’s homework – the little man, or Patrick himself? Give reasons for your answer. (Refer to paragraphs 9 and 10)
Answer: Patrick himself did the homework. Even though he thought the elf was doing it, the elf kept asking for help. Patrick had to read, research, explain, and solve things. So, in the end, it was Patrick who actually did all the work.

📝 WORKING WITH LANGUAGE – A

Fill in the blanks using the correct words or phrases from the box:

[out of luck, mystery, true to his word, chores, between you and me, look up, semester]

  1. Some people find household chores a bore, but I like to help at home.

  2. Who stole the diamond is still a mystery.

  3. This semester, we are going to have a class exhibition.

  4. True to his word, the elf began to help Patrick.

  5. Can you look up this word in the dictionary?

  6. I started early to be on time, but I was out of luck! There was a traffic jam.

  7. She says she's got a lot of books, but between you and me, I think most of them are borrowed.


ACROSS

  1. WEARY – very tired

  2. SCOWLED – had an angry look on the face

  3. BRITCHES – short trousers

  4. GLITCH – a fault in a machine that prevents it from working properly

  5. ELF – a small and naughty boy-fairy

DOWN

  1. CHORES – work that must be done every day, often boring

  2. HAMPER – a basket with a lid

  3. SHRIEKED – gave a short, high-pitched cry


A House, A Home

🌟 1. Do you agree with what the poet says? Complete these sentences:

(i) A house is made of
➡️ brick, stone, wood, glass, and other building materials.

(ii) It has
➡️ windows, doors, a roof, tile floors, chimneys, and eaves.

(iii) A home is made by
➡️ loving and caring family members.

(iv) It has
➡️ kindness, sharing, unselfish acts, and feelings of love and togetherness.

🏠 2. Now complete these sentences about your own house and home:

(i) My house is
➡️ a neat and cozy place where my family lives.

(ii) The best thing about my home is
➡️ the love, care, and happiness we share with each other.