Class 5 English

Malu Bhalu

Exercise Questions

Reading is Fun

Question 1: Where did the polar bear live with her family?

Answer: The polar bear lived with her family in an icy lair.

Question 2: What did Malu learn to do from her parents?

Answer: Malu learnt to catch fish and to swim.

Question 3: Where did Malu want to travel?

Answer: Malu wanted to travel beyond the blue sky.

Question 4: What was it that Malu’s parents wanted her to learn?

Answer: Swimming

Question 5: Was Malu scared to swim? Did she learn it easily?

Answer: Initially, Malu was scared to swim. Later, she overcame her fear and easily learnt to swim.

Question 6: Read the last two stanzas of the poem. Whom does she stand for in both?

Answer: Fearlessness

Let’s Talk

True or False

  1. Malu’s hair was white.
  2. Malu knew how to swim.
  3. Malu was playing with the penguins.
  4. Malu was good at catching fish.
  5. Malu was a brave bhalu.
  6. Malu did not love her mother.
  7. Malu’s mother was firm.

Answer: (a) True, (b) False, (c) False, (d) True, (e) True, (f) True, (g) True

Character Sketch

Malu was brave, strong, hardworking, eager to learn more, smart, caring, impatient, female, affectionate, bold, playful, white, adventurous, clever, young, fearless

Read the following passage carefully

One day Meena plucks a mango and brings it home. Her grandmother gives the larger piece to Raju because he is a boy. Meena protests. After all, she brought the mango and she is elder of the two. She insists she has a greater right over her share. Her father comes to her help and divides the mango equally.

Now answer the questions

Question 1: Who brought the mango home?

Answer: Meena

Question 2: Why did Meena’s grandmother give a larger piece to Raju?

Answer: Meena’s grandmother gave the larger piece to Raju because he is a boy.

Question 3: Who do you think should have got the larger piece?

Answer: It was Meena who brought the mango. So, she should have got the larger piece.

Question 4: What are the things your mother asks you to do?

(a) Things you like to do

Answer: Making food, playing with doll

(b) Things you do not like to do

Answer: Washing cloth

Question 5: Malu lived with Malu’s parents in the North Pole. Malu had great fun with Malu’s seagull friends. One day, Malu’s father told Malu that the hunters had come to trap Malu and Malu’s family. Malu knew how to hide very well. Malu shut Malu’s eyes and curled up like a ball of snow. The hunters searched for Malu and Malu’s family everywhere but in vain.

We can avoid repeating the names by using certain other words in their place. (examples: I, me, you, he, him, her she, it, we, us, you, they, them)

Rewrite the above paragraph using such words.

Answer: Malu lived with her parents in the North Pole. She had great fun with her seagull friends. One day, Malu’s father told her that the hunters had come to trap her and her family. She knew how to hide very well. She shut her eyes and curled up like a ball of snow. The hunters searched for Malu and her family everywhere but in vain.